Ben Matthews - Founder/Winemaker
My passion for winemaking took root in the early 2000s during my undergraduate studies when I was fortunate to spend time in the German wine regions of the Mosel, Baden, and Rheingau. I have had an interest in nature my entire life, but was awed by the steep-sloped vineyards surrounding the small towns I visited. I learned how beautiful and diverse Riesling could be. I learned how differences in terroir or techniques could impact the resulting wine. In short, I caught the “wine bug” like many others before me.
Fast forward over thirteen years... I still love Riesling, but many other things changed during that time. I married my wife Rachel and we had our daughter. I also became a home-winemaker, planted a mini hobby vineyard, studied winemaking through UC Davis, and took time away from my corporate day-job to study under Jim Duane at Seavey Vineyard. Along the way I had a dream to craft my own wines and was fortunate to encounter Jim, and other mentors, to help me envision a path forward. After lots of research, crunching numbers, license applications, and late-night brainstorms the model for Terratorium started to materialize. For me, wine is about creating a craft beverage that is clearly connected to nature. It is about creating a product that brings people together. Wine has inspired me to travel to new places, learn new things, experience different cultures, try new foods, and share a glass with new people. It has taken my wife and me on adventures we will remember forever. It has also given me a goal to pass along lessons of trusting your palate, knowing where your food comes from, and enjoying quality over quantity to my daughter.My hope is that at Terratorium we will create wines that enrich the lives of our consumers and reveal how amazing this beverage can be.
- Ben Matthews