Cutbow Wines
Get the Dirt from owner/winemaker Taylor Mathiesen
“The best thing about being a small winery is that we can relate to the general public and they can relate to us. We’re just normal people trying to make a badass product that everyone can enjoy. We have the ability to be flexible each year, change winemaking styles depending on the weather, growing conditions, and what the fruit is saying. This isn’t cookie cutter recipe winemaking, it’s intentional, thought provoking, and innovating. ”
What was your first vintage year? 2022
How many cases do you make per vintage? About 200.
Do you have a Tasting Room? We do not have a tasting room. However, we do tastings by appointment only at Levo Vineyard (2975 Limestone Way, Paso Robles CA 93446)
What wine/grape made you want to become a winemaker/start your own winery?
Probably Grenache. I love how different it can be across different regions and wine making styles. I also believe it is one of the hardest varieties to make, and make well. I love a challenge, overcoming obstacles, and find I learn more about winemaking because of challenges rather than when everything goes perfectly to plan.
What varietals do you work with?
We work mostly with Chardonnay, Grenache, and Syrah. But we’ve bought some Mourvedre and Petite Sirah in the past. I don’t necessarily have a favorite to work with. That's kind of like asking who’s your favorite child. I like them all for different reasons. Chardonnay is just pure and classic, Grenache is challenging and pushes me as a wine maker, Syrah is very forgiving and adaptable.
What vineyards do you source from?
Chardonnay from Salaal Vineyard, Edna Valley
Grenache from Armory Vineyard, Adelaida, Paso Robles
Syrah from Jack Creek Vineyard, Willow Creek, Paso Robles
Petite Sirah from Levo Vineyard, Willow Creek, Paso Robles
We source from these vineyards for many different reasons. 1. They are great vineyards and make excellent wines. 2. The farmers share similar farming philosophies with us and care about their work. 3. We don’t have an estate vineyard and want to show different expressions of the Paso Robles Wine Region and the varieties grown here.
What type of oak treatment do you use?
We only work with Neutral and Once Used Barrels. I like how these barrels show purity of fruit, vineyard, and place. The wines are not masked by oaky toastiness. I think if we grow and make more wine one day I’d like to include a little new oak, but right now with our size, case production, and small lots, I find that even one new oak barrel would change the wines drastically.
What do you love about your winemaking region? What makes it different special?
Paso Robles, in my opinion, is the most flexible and forgiving region for winemaking. There are so many different winemaking styles and techniques you can choose from in this region. Our soils hold a lot of acidity, but the weather fully ripens fruit. So we naturally get wines that are uber textural and pleasing on the palate, yet they are fresh and vibrant. Paso Robles is also one of the leaders in sustainable, organic, and regenerative farming practices. This is the future of farming and one of the key ways we, as farmers and winemakers, can give back to mother nature and leave the world better than when we came into it.
What’s the story behind your winery name / label?
We went in circles trying to think of something authentic and meaningful for our brand name. We pondered about our similar interests, hobbies, and lifestyle. Then fly fishing came to mind. Taylor spent the first part of his life in Idaho where he learned to fly fish from his grandfather on legendary rivers such as the Snake and Madison. In these rivers lurks the Cutbow Trout: a hybrid fish conceived from the Rainbow Trout and Cutthroat Trout. As we came together to craft a wine, we resonated with the Cutbow Trout. Not only was it sentimental for Taylor and countless fishing trips spent with his grandfather, but the Cutbow Trout symbolizes two individuals coming together to create something beautiful and unique. It was only a matter of time ‘til Emma got sucked into this life and love for the outdoors. After our first fly fishing trip together, Emma also fell in love with these fish, but more so the idea of these fish and what they represent in our relationship. Now we just want to express that love through our wines and their ethos.
What’s the one thing you wish someone had told you about the wine business before you started your own winery?
Make sure you have a well thought out business plan with tangible and actionable goals from day 1 through year 10. I find myself always having to shift and adapt to the pitches I’m given. Change our strategies according to the consumer market, yet maintaining authenticity and being true to ourselves.
What’s so great about being small? What can you do as a small winemaker that wouldn’t be possible for larger wineries?
The best thing about being a small winery is that we can relate to the general public and they can relate to us. We’re just normal people trying to make a badass product that everyone can enjoy. Larger wineries can become idealistic to the public and end up lacking in their relationship with the customer. We have the ability to be flexible each year, change winemaking styles depending on the weather, growing conditions, and what the fruit is saying. This isn’t cookie cutter recipe winemaking, it’s intentional, thought provoking, and innovating.
How do you view the future of the wine industry for small-lot winemakers?
Honestly, I don’t know. I hope the future holds good fortune for small lot winemakers, but that is something we'll have to find out down the road. All we can do is be persistent, transparent, and tell our story. Small-lot winemakers like myself speak with honesty through our wines. Most of us may only have one or two ingredients in our wines: winegrapes and yeast. And that's the story we need to keep telling. The public has the right to know what’s in their bottle and the right way to make wine: low intervention, no manipulation, and transparency with our “ingredients.”
Do you ever get tired of drinking your own wine?
I try not to drink my own wine all the time. We’ll open a bottle of each every so often to see how they’re aging and progressing, but we try to buy wines of all different varieties and regions to analyze and learn from them. I think if you drink your own wines too much, you can get a house palate and can’t appreciate different styles, varieties, and regions of wine.
If you could choose another wine region to work in what would it be?
I always thought it would be cool to maybe have a project in Valle De Guadalupe. I think that’s a relatively new region with some potential but just needs some better farming and winemaking practices.
For more information about Cutbow Wines, please visit their website or follow them on Instagram.