Foodies of the Year

2017 Foodies of the Year: Matt Dumayne

The Kiwi-born winemaker has become the go-to consultant for small wineries looking to push the boundaries.

By Neal McLennan / June 23, 2017

The Kiwi-born winemaker has become the go-to consultant for small wineries looking to push the boundaries.

The Visionary: Matt Dumayne

Winemaker, Okanagan Crush Pad, Summerland

Hop on any of the recent trends in the B.C. wine industry and odds are Matt Dumayne has had a hand in its genesis. Crafting wine in huge concrete eggs? His Haywire Pinot Gris was the pioneer. Native ferments? His Haywire Native Ferments. Orange wine? His work at Vancouver Island’s 40 Knots and the current work at Fraser Valley’s Singletree. Natural wine? Haywire’s Free Form. But the irony is that the gregarious Kiwi—who, after making his own wine in New Zealand, spent time working in Australia, Oregon and California before landing here—is anything but trendy, preferring instead to focus his considerable winemaking skills on searching for the truest expression of the grapes he works with. It’s why he can on one hand make the priciest, most ambitious pinot noir in the province (Mirabel Vineyards) and on the other nerd out on crown-capped sparkling chardonnay made in the hip Pét-Nat method (Narrative Ancient Method) and both examples will be memorable…like pretty much everything else he touches.

MATT DUMAYNE’S WINE TREND FORECAST: TERROIRS

“There is a movement toward less is more, respecting grapes and varietal character without unnecessary additives, heavy manipulation and extraction in the winery.”

Blue Grouse Quill Rosé, $20“Blue Grouse is making great Island wines with an emphasis on purity.”

Little Farm Riesling, $30“Rhys and Alishan are making fabulous and funky wines.”

TH Wines Rosé, $23“Tyler Harlton has a great hands-off approach.”