Kristine M. Kierzek
When Matt Naumann went to develop his own winery, he understood he wished to put down roots. He wants a legacy, not simply a label.
That’s the goal behind Newfound White wines, the small California winery Naumann and his partner, Audra, run in the Sierra Foothills.
It’s been quite the journey for Naumann, who got his start in the market at a downtown Milwaukee white wine shop. Almost twenty years later, he’s making his own wines.
Naumann is likewise the president at Wade Cellars, working to develop white wines with Marquette University alumnus and previous Miami Heat player Dwyane Wade.
Naumann is a highlighted vintner at this year’s Vince Lombardi Cancer Structure Celebrity Chef & & Wine Supper, with a menu by St. Louis chef Ben Welch, on Nov. 5 at the Wisconsin Club.
Newfound White wines at the supper include a 2020 Semillon, 2017 Scaggs Vineyard Grenache and 2020 Gravels. Tickets are readily available at lombardifoundation.org/food-wine.Naumann grew up in Germantown and went to Wisconsin Lutheran High School and UW-Milwaukee. This year, his Newfound White wines produced its first rosé. Typically Newfound white wines are priced in between $30 and $45. Order Newfound White wines at newfoundwines.com/.Getting began I matured interested in food, my mama liked to prepare. The topic of wine was pretty fascinating. I got a task at a white wine shop. My very first job was at
Mo’s white wine store downtown. Johnny Vassallo owned it. I strongly keep in mind the day I walked into the red wine shop. I stated hey, I understand absolutely nothing about the market. I’m fascinated by white wine and simply wish to learn. The individual said they in fact were working with, can you begin tomorrow? That was the beginning of everything. Very first red wine he fell for Early on, I survived on Downer Opportunity, and Downer White Wine and Spirits was the red wine shop I would go to as I ended up being a growing number of interested. … I entered French white wine pretty early, and perhaps the first glass of Pinot Noir I had, fairly cliche, but it was a little an a-ha moment.
Making his method west Working at Mo’s that first year, I realized this was a career path I wished to explore. Wine makers would come in from California, all over. I wished to operate in production and discover more about the industry. I learn by doing. I wound up getting in touch with Michael Phillips at Michael
David Vineyard when he
concerned Mo’s. He said”You should concern Lodi (California ). We have a trainee program. “That was when they were doing 7 Lethal Zins. I transferred to Lodi in 2003. That was probably the most formative experience of my career. A change of strategies After summer season 2004 I had plans to move to London. I returned to Wisconsin for a couple months waiting for my visa. I wound up staying in Milwaukee 3 more years. That’s when I operated at Grapes and Grain, a longtime actually great neighborhood wine store in Mequon … Having the ability to connect all the dots from customer to winery to producers around the world, those are crucial moments in my background
. I relocated to California in 2007. I have actually been here since.Finding himself at Failla Ehren Jordan is the owner of Failla red wines. I began when the winery was being built out, the only production employee for the very first year … The genuine owner-operators in this market do whatever. Ehren had all of those abilities. It was terrific for me to be a part of that for ten years. It generated the desire to have my own job. Putting down roots When we started Newfound, we wanted to be grape growers, something concrete, something long lasting.
Not simply a label. There are a million labels out there. I wanted more of a tradition attached to it. We bought a property in the Sierra Foothills. We reside in the Napa Valley, St. Helena. Costs in the Sonoma Valley and Napa are a little out of our earnings bracket, but there are some fascinating vineyard sites in the Sierra Foothills.There are some fantastic red wines made in the foothills, the area around Amador
and El Dorado county.
We remain in El Dorado simply north of Amador. There is a great deal of untapped capacity … and you can purchase land. A white wine expert without deep pockets can in fact become a winery owner. That’s what that location represented for myself and my wife.We purchased the home prior to we got married in 2016, prior to we even began the label … We have 5 acres now. We’ll have 10 by next year, organically grown.Where to discover Newfound White wines We’re not in circulation in Wisconsin. We do deliver direct to customers if they become part of our program … Our wholesale markets are the main ones, California, New York City … We sell more white wine in the UK than we do anywhere outside of New York. Then Quebec, northern Europe, Sweden, Denmark and Japan. That is a big focus for us. His other Wisconsin red wine connection One of my closest buddies out here is an attorney in
Napa Valley and he’s really into red wine. He started this service with(Marquette University alumnus )Dwyane Wade in 2014. His white wines were offered solely in China for the very first couple of years due to the fact that of guidelines that the NBA had.As Newfound ended up being more
demanding on my schedule, I left Failla so I could focus on my own things. A year into that, I required something that would offer flexibility to concentrate on Newfound however likewise be a various project … I realized rapidly how severe Dwyane was about this. Presently I am the director of winemaking and president of Wade Cellars.
When I started, we had 800 cases of to sell … We’re now at 14,000 cases in a matter of 3 years. I see it growing. Stabilizing his functions Newfound is extremely natural. I get to make white wines I truly want to make and I can take my time and be actually thoughtful with them in a different way. Wade Cellars has all the markings of a brand that will be an amazing commercial success. Making red wines and crafting for a broader audience is a various art. It is terrific to have both of those under my guidance. What he wants you to understand Red wine is an actually challenging venture. When I relocated to California I had like $500 in my checking account. None of this is coming from a location of advantage. We’re grinding to make this all occur. I am doing it due to the fact that I enjoy it. His white wines Our white wines are actually made to be sophisticated wines. If you’re searching for something big and apparent, extracted, those are not
our white wines. I hope they
never ever are.His love list I love grenache and carignan. I enjoy mourvèdre. My gewurztraminer is a semillon, and my fascination there has to do more with the vineyard site than the grape range. I do love semillon. It is not an apparent red wine. They’re very downplayed. There’s no flamboyance to it. That’s the design of red wine I personally enjoy. By the numbers Our first vintage we produced 600 cases total.
This year, this harvest, we’ll put
4,000 cases in the bottle. My goal is 6,000 cases and to see if we’re making adequate money to spend for the business. Coming full circle It is fairly ironic. Growing up in Germantown/Menomonee Falls location I was a caddy at North Hills Nation Club. I keep in mind caddying and being a spectator at the Vince Lombardi golf getaway they ‘d have with the retired Green Bay Packers, and Bart Starr would show up. This was the ’80s. I was actually presented to the Vince Lombardi Structure working at Failla … I have remained in contact with one of the organizers, Trace Tendick. He asked if we ‘d have an interest in being the included vineyard. It was a no-brainer to come back to Milwaukee. This will be the first time we will be in Milwaukee with our wines. When I transferred to California in 2007, I met my very first wife. We got married in 2009, had our daughter who
is now 11. However in 2012
, my other half Sarah was detected with glioblastoma, a grade 4 brain growth. Our child was one and a half. We had actually just bought our first house. Our lives were in a tailspin,
and for the kind of cancer and tumor she had it was only a matter of time. It was a terminal disease. This subject of cancer and supporting any kind of charity supportive of patients and research is close to me. We’re very honored to be in Milwaukee to do this.Wines to enjoy We will be launching our 2020 Newfound Gravels, a grenache and syrah mix.
That is the red wine I believe we have become most known for … Our 2nd release is a syrah, from a vineyard I call”Shake Ridge “in Amador. We do not make much of it. There are just 50 cases available. I want we had more. Start drinking Find a store with somebody that is educated enough to point you in the ideal direction and comprehends where you are at in your
wine drinking journey. If you didn’t grow up with it, the language is odd. … The great feature of Milwaukee is there are a lot of terrific white wine stores and separately owned businesses.More: No shortcuts, ‘scrappy ‘and local: Chef Esther Choi carries on love for quality Korean food Fork. Spoon. Life. checks out the everyday relationship that local notables(within the food neighborhood and without )have with food. To suggest future personalities to profile, email [email protected].*****If you go What: Vince Lombardi Cancer Structure Celebrity Chef & Red Wine Supper, a five-course meal coupled with white wine and Wisconsin cheese.Details: Nov. 5, Wisconsin Club, 800 W. Wisconsin Ave.Cost: $300 About
the structure:
Started in 1971, it offers grants to companies working to prevent cancer, take care of patients and discover a cure.Tickets: Go to lombardifoundation.org/food-wine.