When we need to know what’s happening out in the vineyards, we usually call up winemaker Matt Smith. With his finger on the pulse of Kendall-Jackson winegrowing, Matt has been with us since 2004, heading up the winemaking for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Meritage over at our Oakville winery. No small task.

Before joining the Kendall-Jackson team, he toiled in the vineyards of Burgundy and Australia, learning how terroir and tradition affect the winegrowing process from vine to bottle. He’s a hands-on kind of guy, and we look forward to getting into the nitty gritty of winemaking and grape growing with Matt as our expert guide. We’re talking malolactic fermentation and extended maceration here … stuff that sounds like yawn-inducing chemistry, but is actually pretty darn interesting.

The 2010 wines are heading to barrel in the cellar soon, so Matt will be able to take a breather and join us here in the blogosphere. Until then …. you can keep up with Matt on his Twitter account or through the images he occasionally posts for us on Flickr.