Forty years after the Corley family planted their first grape plants in Napa Valley, their sons Kevin, Chris and Stephen have grown the Monticello Winery into one of the most unique and beautiful vineyards in the area. As the name suggests, and with an almost exact replica of his Virginia home on the estate, Monticello embodies Thomas Jefferson’s philosophy that “good wine is a necessity of life”. I have the same philosophy on music, so pairing the two together on a sunny day in Napa made for a pretty-amazing afternoon.
The Corley family also believes that great wines are made from and on the vineyard itself, unlike many wineries that make their wines from grapes found all across the state. This is why they have a tremendous commitment and pride in owning some of the most ideal grape-growing land in Napa, which spreads across five area vineyards. Their Home Ranch Vineyard and Knollwood Vineyard in the Oak Knoll District are dedicated to Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah vines while their State Lane Vineyard in Yountville, Tietjen Vineyard on Niebaum Lane in Rutherford and Ehlers Lane Vineyard in St. Helena are each dedicated to Cabernet Sauvignon.
Today I had the chance to not only enjoy a variety of the exceptional wines Monticello makes, but also to savor a gourmet lunch, watch a barrel making demonstration and – my personal highlight of the afternoon – treat my ears to an intimate guest performance by Tampa singer/songwriter Matt Hires.
After tweeting back and forth with Matt earlier this week, I finally had the chance to meet him face-to-face and talk a bit about his recent trip to Los Angeles, where he’s been working with the producer from his last album, “Take Us To The Start,” on new material set to record this summer.
Some of you had requested I ask Matt about his inspiration for Honey, Let Me Sing You A Song. It turns out, Matt’s first job was in a cabinet shop where he worked for eight years, where he eventually worked his way from sweeping floors to building cabinets. We’ve all heard the phrase, “Whistle while you work,” and Matt laughed about how many hits he probably wrote while honing his carpentry skills, most – unfortunately for us – he forgot by the end of the work day. So, Matt bought a voice recorder that he’d use when he started whistling something good and he created a series of “bathroom cabinet songs,” one of which is Honey, Let Me Sing You A Song.
Today’s show also featured Matt’s crowd pleasing, State Lines, that you can download below. It’s a perfect song for the many music and wine lovers “crossing state lines” to “come together and make up for lost time.” So, don’t waste any more time, and listen for yourself.
MP3: State Lines by Matt Hires
