New developments at Matthews Estate

Jim Rubstello and Cliff Otis have opened the Matthews Estate House, a new events facility and B&B

Matthews Estate was one of the first boutique wineries to open in Woodinville back in 1993, under the helm of owner and winemaker Matthew Loso.

It quickly earned a reputation for its production of high quality Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux style varietals, as well as Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Cabernet Franc wines. And over the years, it has received much recognition from both the public and wine world alike, including high marks and awards from Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator and R. Parker Advocate.

Though Loso is no longer proprietor of the winery, it continues to garner accolades under new owners Jim Rubstello and Cliff Otis, and head winemaker, Aryn Morell.

Rubstello and Otis became full partners in the business last June, though they had previously been investors in the winery for a number of years.

Both men are friends, who met through their involvement at Bellevue Christian School, where Otis is the school’s director of operations.

Rubstello has been Bellevue Christian’s baseball coach for a number of years. After working in his family’s exercise equipment business for many years, he got involved in the winery. Otis later joined him.

Since taking over the reins at Matthews, the men have made some changes in the place. They remodeled the tasting room and production facilities, as well as the house that sits at the top of the private eight-acre property, which once served as a private residence.

Today, it’s the Matthews Estate House, a new events facility and B&B.

“Cliff and I saw potential in this house,” says Rubstello, “as it was already semi-equipped for events. Actually, they had held some informal winemaker dinners there in the past. We thought that we could expand and develop the concept further by offering people a space to host their corporate events, private parties and weddings. And then we got the idea to also offer overnight accommodations, as the house has several bedrooms. It’s really a natural extension of the events center. It allows people to experience the perfect union between wine and food, comfort and hospitality.”

Rubstello continues to explain that bridal parties, for example, can use the rooms to stay in overnight, as well as corporate executives or guests of honor at various gatherings.

He adds, “We think people will like the unique element of being able to stay at a place associated with a winery in the heart of the Woodinville Wine Country.”

The Estate House overlooks the peaceful Woodinville Valley and contains a state-of-the-art kitchen (ideal for interactive dinners with guest chefs and cooking classes), intimate lounge and dining area, large patio for outdoor dining, a 10-seat private theatre room, library wine cellar, master suite and one additional smaller bedroom.

The dining area can host up to 60 people for a reception style event or 36 people for a sit down meal.

In the warmer months, the facility, with its expansive patio space, can accommodate gatherings of up to 100 people, which makes it ideal for weddings and other larger scale events.

The production facility, available for hosted tours pre or post events, offers guests the special opportunity to experience what winemaking in a boutique winery is all about.

“We’re really proud of our wines,” comments Rubstello, “and we love to educate people about the whole winemaking process. It’s both an art and a science.”

Otis echoes the sentiment and adds, “We make some killer wines here. We get the fruit from the most reputable vineyards in the Yakima and Columbia Valley. We believe that there is a deep link between where the grapes grow and the winemakers and our goal is to produce wines that are a reflection of this link.”

Matthews Estate winemaker Aryn Morell explains that he uses an “exacting,” precise approach to crafting the best wines.

He says, “We do everything with intention and there’s no guesswork involved. And it all begins at the vineyards level. We go to where the grapes are grown and we choose our sites and manage them. We spend much time with the growers.”

He adds, “Anyone will tell you that making wines in Washington is much harder than other places, like California, because of the added time and expense involved in traveling to the vineyards. There’s a lot of distance between the wineries and the vineyards here. But, if you want to make good wine, you need to give care to the vineyards.”

Currently, Matthews Estate produces 3,500 – 4,500 cases of wine a year. Half of that is sold to wholesalers and the other half is on the retail market.

The goal of the winery is to maintain production levels where they are right now and perhaps increase them slightly in the future, but the owners are adamant that they do not want to sacrifice quality for quantity.

“We are passionate about excellence in winemaking and our goal is to continue to make the best wines,” explains Otis. “We’re a boutique winery and we want to stay that way. We’re very invested in growing the event side of our business. And we want to continue to be responsible members of the Woodinville Wine Association and the community, which has been very supportive of our endeavors.”

For more information about Matthews Estate, call (425) 487-9810 or visit www.matthewsestate.com.