An inquisitive mind

When Matt was invited to dinner with the family of his future wife, she suggested he bring a bottle of wine. That sparked a passion that led him down the winemaking path.

“I was walking around the bottle shop trying to make a decision on what was a good wine,” says Matt. “There were just so many different vintages and regions and varieties. I started reading about it and the more I read, the more amazed I was.”

As a winemaker at Hardys’ iconic Tintara winery, he’s still captivated by the diversity of wine.

“There are so many variables in the winemaking process,” he says. “I’ll be in the lab tasting or in a vineyard, or I’ll be out in the market chatting with people about wine and doing dinners, and then I’ll be watching presses and tasting barrels.

“The incredible thing about wine is that every year you’re presented with new challenges. It’s endlessly fascinating.”

For Matt, working at such a historic winery – Tintara was established by wine pioneer Thomas Hardy in the 1870s and since then has been at the heart and soul of McLaren Vale – means finding a balance between tradition and modernism.

“We are a traditional brand, but we are always doing trials, we are always trying to push the boundaries,” says Matt. “The greatest wine you make is always your next wine.

This includes experimenting with different wine styles and showcasing alternative varieties, including Fiano, Sangiovese and Touriga, as well as Tintara’s signature Shiraz. Matt also strives to push the limits of quality.

“We get to work with the best of the best fruit available,” he says. “We get to make ultra-premium wines that, realistically, I couldn’t afford to drink every day, but I get to drink them every day. That’s a pretty awesome opportunity.”

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