Interview with Musician Mat Kearney

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I had a very busy weekend… the highlight of which was being invited by Whole Foods to meet Musician and Winemaker Mat Kearney! I’ve been a fan of his music for years and I’m so excited for his new adventure in wine making.

During my interview with Mat, I learned that wine has played an integral part in his life and it’s very much a natural extension of his songwriting…

“I left Oregon and the grapevines in my parents’ backyard and headed for ‘Music City’ to see if I could make it as a musician. Hundreds of songs, four albums, and a few friends later, that journey brought me to the beauty of wine making. A good wine is like a good song; it tells a story, speaks to your soul, and even builds community. Verse & Chorus was dreamed up backstage, with my friends at Peju and John Anthony Vineyards, and made a reality with their family’s 60+ years of experience making wine in Napa Valley. It’s full of life, love and a little music. Turn it up and enjoy!”

Whole Foods describes Mat’s new wine, Verse & Chorus as having “Intense notes of black currant, plum and cocoa which lead to rich juicy dark berry flavors. Toasty hazelnut and roasted coffee in the very long finish”. Sounds about right to me! I’m not a huge wine expert, but If I’m going to have a glass of wine I want something good with a nice taste and aroma. This had both.

Verse & Chorus is sold exclusively online and at Whole Foods Markets. During the day of my interview, Mat also gave a short performance in the store and signed bottles afterward. It was a very energetic crowd and a whole lot of people came out for this fun little concert!

I’m never one of those traditional interviewers. I get bored of the same questions so I always try to ask what everyone really wants to know… but also not the same ole questions. This time I just went with the flow and didn’t plan ahead so that my questions were really fresh.

So with Mat’s sweet wife Annie {see her smiling back there?} sitting by I asked my questions as they came to me… the first question was…

What’s your favorite meal to pair with your wine? Mat said Rosemary Chops and Potatoes. <— Sounds good to me!

My second question was where he sees himself taking his brand in the next year? This is where his music fans will swoon… he is currently working on a new album right now and it should be released mid-2014! There was also some talk about more wine “releases” too, but nothing definitive.