Matt KettmannContributing Editor
Reviews wines from California.
Matt Kettmann reviews and reports on wines from the Central and South Coasts of California for the magazine. A fifth-generation Californian originally from San Jose, Kettmann is a senior editor for The Santa Barbara Independent, the weekly newspaper/daily website where he started his journalism career in 1999 after graduating from UC-Santa Barbara with an anthropology degree. He's reported on wine and more for for the New York Times, Time Magazine and Wine Spectator, among other publications. He is the author of Vines & Visions: The Winemakers of Santa Barbara County, a 632-page profile of the region, and is currently updating the Southern California chapter for The Oxford Companion to Wine. Kettmann has made small batches of noncommercial wine almost every vintage since 2012, and lives in the Santa Barbara suburbs with his Bordeaux-born wife and their two kids, where they grow one vine of Zinfandel, originally from Santa Cruz Island.
Recent Articles and Reviews
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California's Newest AVA Produces Coastal Wines in Los Angeles County August 24, 2021 The Palos Verdes Peninsula American Viticultural Area is one of the country’s newest appellations. Read… -
California’s Central Coast Is Petite Sirah’s New Champion July 29, 2021 There's nothing petite about this grape, especially in California's Central Coast. Here's why Petite Sirah… -
The New Generation of Vintners Reviving Los Angeles’ Wine Heritage June 10, 2021 Los Angeles was California's first wine country until the end of WWII. But now, a… -
Paso Robles' White Wines Defy Expectations June 1, 2021 As a great surprise, brisk, racy, white wine bottlings offer a refreshing counterpoint to the California region’s…
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Europa Village 2018 Bolero Verdelho (California) Warm aromas of yellow and green apple meet with tropical flowers, baked pastry and a… 89 Points $37
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Bernardus 2019 Chardonnay (Monterey County) Aromoas of hazelnut, marzipan and browned butter on toasted bread make for a rich, nutty… 89 Points $28
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La Crema 2019 Pinot Gris (Monterey) Wet gravel, crushed stone, lime candy and petrol aromas make for complex nose on this… 89 Points $20
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Olelo 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles) Affordably priced for regular enjoyment, this bottling begins with earthy aromas of wet gravel, tar… 89 Points $15