Page 33 - Grapevine NovDec 2021

In The Winery

did not want to follow in her family’s footsteps in
the construction and timber industries. Instead, she Olde Tradition Spice
sealed her destiny with a high school trip to France.
“To be honest, the only reason I studied French was Mulling Spice
so I could go to France,” Mathy told The Grapevine for Wine
Magazine. “While I was there, I fell in love with in Tea Bags!
wine. Until then, I knew nothing about it. I’d never
seen vineyards, and I’d never seen people drinking
wines. It had never occurred to me that people
could make a living in that field. It was an ‘a-ha’
moment. I came home, and I told my dad I wanted
to get into the wine industry.”
“A great way
She put that dream on hold while pursuing an to spice your
education, but years later, when her dad was facing wine on a
stage IV cancer, he encouraged her to revisit her 8 Bags in Attractive Box, chilly day!”
goals. “He said, ‘life’s too short,’ and if I still wanted 24 Boxes Per Case.
to open a winery, we could do it together in the Olde Tradition Spice is the perfect addi-
time he had left.” tion for your tasting room and gift shop!
The tea bags are all natural with no sugar.
So, the journey began and, with the help of con- Olde Tradition Spice - Contact Us Today!
sultants, Mathy discovered Dutcher Crossing. The 800-977-1117
winery wasn’t for sale, but she recognized it as
a perfect fit. “I liked the sense of family and the www.oldetraditionspice.com
quality of the wines,” she said. “The winery had
a nice foundation—it wasn’t showy—and it would
DUTCHER CROSSING: give me a good base to build on, wherever I decid-

ed to go. The confluence on Dry Creek and Dutcher
Creek gave the winery a sense of place too, which
An Idyllic Slice of Heaven was really important to me.”

While the owners had bought the winery with plans
By: Nan McCreary to sell eventually, Mathy convinced them that they
should sell now and that she was the right person
to buy it. “They didn’t want to sell to the corporate
world,” she said. “They wanted it to be in great
hands and ended up turning it over earlier than
planned.”

New to the industry—this kid from Wisconsin
who had transplanted herself to California—Mathy
faced the challenges of not only being an outsider
but of being the first single female winery owner in
Sonoma County. “I had to prove that I was serious
about this, that it was not just a hobby,” Mathy
said. “I got active in the community, developed
relationships and learned everything I could from
others. I also surrounded myself with great people.

877-892-5332 The Grapevine • November - December 2021 Page 31

Grapevine Main Pages GV111221_Layout 1-1 .indd 31 11/8/21 2:13 PM