Matt learned the wine and restaurant trade in his hometown of Omaha, NE, where he managed V. Mertz, the family business and a local fine-dining institution. Matt built the restaurant’s award-winning wine list and earned the staff a semifinalist nod for the “Best Wine Service” James Beard Award, a first for the state of Nebraska. After earning the Society of Wine Educators’ “Certified Specialist of Wine” title and completing the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Advanced Exam in 2008 as a best-in-class Rudd Scholar, Matt departed Nebraska for wine country in California to intensify his study for the rigorous Master Sommelier Diploma.

Matt has worked as a Sommelier at the Farmhouse Inn and Restaurant in Russian River Valley and at The French Laundry in Yountville, CA, one of a handful of American “3 Michelin Star” restaurants and a coveted destination for guests from across the globe. While at The French Laundry, Matt finished first in the inaugural 2010 TOP SOMM competition, earning the title “America’s Top Sommelier,” and completed the Master Sommelier Exam, joining the premier ranks of 200 Masters worldwide.