Ep 21: Curating Wines for Hotels, Restaurant Groups, and Wine Festivals: Sommelier Matthew-Lorèn Lindsey of Appellation Wines and The Blended Festival

Welcome back to another episode of The Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast, today let me introduce you to Sommelier Matthew-Lorèn Lindsey of Appellation Wines and The Blended Festival.

Sommelier Matthew-Lorèn Lindsey has spent the last 15 years as a wine collector and industry leader in the wine space as an importer and distributor in the Las Vegas casino market. He serves as the Executive Sommelier & Director of Wine for the National Blended Festival, curating the wine experience for thousands of festival attendees.  Additionally, he is the founder of Appellation Wine Brands, a luxury lifestyle company that creates wine brands for restaurant groups, hotels, and private companies. He is also the lead wine judge for the Pr%f (Proof) awards, the largest double-blind wine and spirit competition in the United States. Matthew shares his passion for wine as the founder and educator of The Advanced Wine Course.com, an e-learning platform for wine enthusiasts and novices.

Let’s dive into his wine story! 

[00:01 - 13:10] Opening Segment 

• I introduce our guest for this episode
• Man, wine is cool! Not what Mattew envisioned for himself in his youth
• Didn’t exactly liking the dynamics of alcohol before Vegas
• Intimidated by Wine: The Start of Matthew’s Wine Game
• Matthew’s First Wine Collection: Two Carts Filled with Wine

[13:11 - 30:09] Curating Wines for Hotels, Restaurant Groups, and Wine Festivals 

• What people are afraid of when ordering wine for the first time
• • “Try things that you don't understand or know because how else are you gonna learn those those things, right?”
• Matthew’s Not So Typical Path to Events
• • How he found a way to be able to learn and be relevant and provide value to the community, and to the wine industry
• The Blended Festival
• • Traveling national festival 
  • Wine, food, music, and lifestyle
  • Blended Festival 2021’s Wellness Stage
  • My Wine Society
  • The Crown Jewel of the Festival, The Wine Tent
  • Adding more to your palette through themed booths
  • Forming community and building relationships with our communities that we're at

[30:10 - 44:04] Not Just Wine, But an Experience

• 68 Wine Events in 2022
• • How Matthew ensures his wine events bring one cohesive experience
  • A Thougtful Approach for the Wine tent
  • Everything had to be perfect! Done with love and compassion
  • The Blended Festival, definitely an event, experience, and story to tell
• Matthew’s Other Engagements
• • Boutique and Great Wine Distribution Company in Las Vegas
  • Staying connected with his community
  • Matthew’s Own Wine Company, Appellation Wines
  • Why wine makers are terrible marketers
  • Matthew’s Wine Courses 

[44:05 - 50:21] Tasting Round

• Matthew-Lorèn‘s Favorite Wine
• • Pinot Noir
• Matthew-Lorèn’s Favorite Go-To Pairing 
• • Lobster Tail Garlic Noodles adn Chablis
• Matthew-Lorèn’s Wine Resource
• • Google
  • His restaurant/a restaurant
• Connect with Matthew-Lorèn 
• • See links below 
• Reach out to me for more wine conversations through the links below 
• Subscribe and leave a review
• Final words 

Tweetable Quotes:

“This (wine) isn't just something  to get drunk off of and to party on. This is something that should be enjoyed, and relished, and lived in, and remembered.”  - Matthew-Lorèn Lindsey

“I think it's a pretty well known fact that Americans love Cabernet Sauvignon, that's where palettes are calibrated. So I'm drinking right now, I understand that I value that I appreciate that. But that's not enough for me. I want you to learn and grow and expand your horizons ”  - Matthew-Lorèn Lindsey

Connect with Matthew-Lorèn through Instagram! Check out his websites at www.advancedwinecourse.com and www.blendedfestival.com 

Let’s continue the Everyday Wine Conversations and connect with me through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected]. You can also check out my website at ​www.​klevywineco.com.

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