OREGONIAN INTERVIEW WITH MATT ABOUT LOVE AND SQUALOR

Love & Squalor makes serious wines with a humorous touch

Updated: Jul. 13, 2022, 10:01 a.m. | Published: Jul. 13, 2022

Winery spotlight: Love & Squalor

By Michael Alberty | For The Oregonian/OregonLIve

My dad once asked me to track down a wine called Lust & Poverty, and it took me a few days to figure out he was talking about a new winery named Love & Squalor. That was almost 14 years ago, and I’ve been happily drinking Matt Berson’s wines ever since.

Love & Squalor is best known for: dry wit and dry riesling.

“Must try” current release: 2017 Love & Squalor Willamette Valley Dry Riesling ($20). A delightfully crisp wine filled to the brim with aromas and flavors of citrus, chamomile tea, and Granny Smith apples.

Innovation: In 2012, a half-ton of gewürztraminer arrived unexpectedly during harvest chaos. Berson kept the fruit, but he couldn’t process it right away. After 10 days spent soaking in a cooler, the grapes were pressed, and the traditionally white gewürztraminer was now an orange-colored wine with some tannic structure.

Berson named the wine “A Frayed Knot.” It was one of the Willamette Valley’s first extended skin-contact “orange wines.” While Berson thought it might be a “one-off” if nobody liked it, he’s been making the wine ever since.

The most recent experiment is a 250 ml. can of sparkling sauvignon blanc infused with fresh Mosaic hops. The Portland Wine Company “Rumble Can” sells for $7 and is an exotic pick-me-up on a warm summer evening.

Favorite Oregon “get away” spot: The Chicken House in Gearhart. “It’s a nice place on the coast to relax,” Berson said.

History: Twenty years ago, Matt Berson put San Francisco in his rearview mirror to take a job managing the now-defunct Oritalia restaurant at The Westin Portland hotel.

Working at various restaurants in the Bay Area, Berson was well-versed in wines from California, Italy and France. His familiarity with Oregon wines, however, was limited. That changed quickly. “I started tasting Willamette Valley rieslings made by Jimi Brooks, Jay Somers and Tad Seestedt. They were so lively and dynamic that my mind was blown,” Berson said.

Berson’s journey to winemaking began with an invitation to pour wines one weekend at a Patricia Green Cellars open house.

Winemaker Patty Green and Berson hit it off, so he returned to work harvest for her in 2003. The restaurant career was over as Berson worked various jobs with Green, Somers, Brooks and anyone who needed help at the Carlton Winemakers Studio. Stints in New Zealand, Argentina, German and the Napa Valley rounded out his winemaking chops.

Berson made his first wines while working for Seestedt at Ransom Wines in 2006. The only problem was Berson didn’t have a name for his winery. “I was carrying around a notebook to jot down ideas, but nothing was clicking,” Berson said.

Then Berson picked up a copy of J.D. Salinger short stories at a Goodwill store. “For Esme — With Love and Squalor” resonated with him. “I thought to myself, ‘love and squalor, that’s it, that’s winemaking,’” Berson said.

The laundry-filled clothesline on Love & Squalor labels also reinforces winemaking’s sometimes precarious nature. The clothesline artwork was created by artist Clare Carver of Big Table Farm winery fame. Angela Reat, Love & Squalor’s general manager and Berson’s partner and wife, has created the winery’s labels and graphics since then.

Love & Squalor’s winery and tasting room is located inside the Portland Wine Company building at 3201 S.E. 50th Ave.

What we don’t know: Berson co-wrote a restaurant gossip column in San Francisco in the late 1990s. The “Side Dish” appeared in SF Weekly under the nom de plume of Harry Coverte.

Biggest inspiration: In terms of wine, Berson names two friends and mentors who are no longer with us: Jimi Brooks and Patty Green. “I’m always thinking about how they would do something in the cellar or what music Jimi would be playing. Their presence motivates me to do better,” Berson said.

Berson also names his parents, Tom and Dorothy Berson, who he said “found their own way in life, with thoughtfulness and on their own terms.”

Key insight: Berson would like to reassure everybody that while he has fun with his labels and life, he takes winemaking seriously. “We fret, worry and split hairs over every grape we pick and every single wine we make. Maybe think of me as a comedic actor that’s also pretty good at taking dramatic turns,” Berson said.

Where to buy: Love & Squalor wines are easy to find in the Portland area at Division Wines and various New Seasons Market, Market of Choice and Zupan’s Markets locations.

In Portland, Gado Gado, Noble Rot and Bullard Tavern are the places to be if you would like to experience Love & Squalor wines with food. In San Francisco and Seattle, Berson’s wines are served at Waterbar and Rock Creek Seafood, respectively.

portlandwinecompany.com or info@loveandsqualorwine.com.

-- Michael Alberty writes about wine for The Oregonian/OregonLive. He can be reached at malberty0@gmail.com. To read more of his coverage, go to oregonlive.com/wine.

link to original article

Another Reason to Love Oregon Wine Press...

November 1, 2019

Going Urban

Love & Squalor celebrates new Rose City space

By Mark Stock

Just in time for this year’s harvest, Portland Wine Co. has settled into their new world headquarters in the southeast part of the city. The space, a 5,000-square-foot former showroom and warehouse, now houses the winemaking and tasting room for Love & Squalor Wines. It officially opened to the public on Oct. 24, amid fermenting fruit and another fantastic Oregon vintage. 

Couple Matt Berson and Angie Reat bought the place after several years of sniffing around their hometown of Portland; Berson previously made their wine at Goodfellow Family Cellars in McMinnville’s Granary District. Before launching their label in 2006, Berson worked crush pads all over the planet, from Germany to New Zealand to Argentina. He considers late greats Patricia Green and Jimi Brooks to be his first major mentors.

Portland Wine Company owners Angela Reat and Matt Berson.Photo provided

Prior to Love & Squalor, the tasting room and barrel cellar areas of the newly renovated structure served as a local grocer dating to the 1920s. The adjoining production space was built a few decades later, most recently in operation as a fire extinguisher service company. As Portland Wine Co., it will serve as a gathering place for folks in the surrounding, bustling neighborhoods like South Tabor, Foster-Powell and Richmond. Plus, it’s only a short drive the airport and downtown, making it an easy stop for Oregon’s growing tourist traffic.

For Berson and Reat, the move made sense on a lot of levels, including being able to show the inner workings of their craft to an eager Portland audience. As the city’s dynamic wine scene has demonstrated, urbanites — not always up for the hour’s drive to the belly of wine country — enjoy being able to witness winemaking in action.

But, most importantly, he’s much closer to those he cares about most.

“I really wanted to bring my girls out of the office and into the cellar, to mix it up a bit,” Berson says. “Now, with all the winery operations and tasting room under one roof, there is plenty to keep the whole family busy and still have dinner together at our kitchen table.

“Also, we are only a few blocks from our daughter’s school, so I hope to be able to train her after class lets out to take over the winemaking someday,” he says with a wink. Roxy, just 9 years old, represents the second generation of the family business — of course, time will tell what their daughter will choose.

Love & Squalor is perhaps best known for its stunning family of Rieslings. It’s also responsible for varietals such as Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer, Gamay Noir, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc. The label pulls from storied vineyards throughout the Valley and beyond, some of which are well-established sites first planted in the 1970s. The name is a nod to iconic author J.D. Salinger, while partner, Reat, a graphic designer by trade, is responsible for all of the branding, including labels.

The new space also provides a place for experimentation and side wine projects, like Marty, Berson’s red blend of Southern Oregon fruit, and Mothershucker, a Willamette Valley white table delight. In addition, the winery hosts two outside brands: Jackalope Cellars and Landmass Wines.

In some ways, the Portland winemaking community is like that of wine country back in the early years. There are relatively few players and, come crush, a tangible sense of camaraderie. “We love our community in the city,” Berson adds. “Just a great ragtag bunch of wine pirates. The urban wineries kind of have to make do and help each other along this far away from the vineyards and supply stores. We are joining up to fly the flag of local wine and bring it to the thirsty.”

The 750-square-foot tasting room features an enticing mix of lounge-friendly furnishings and a living-room sort of feel. Presently, there are 15 glass pour options available, ranging from sparkling Chenin Blanc to Pinot to Gamay Noir. There are simple and satisfying food options, too, such as tinned fish, popcorn and stuffed vegetables. A modest corkage fee of $10 is tied to any sub-$50 bottle purchase. The wines sport added appeal in that, for the most part, they represent great bargains.

Aesthetically, the space is easy on the eyes, a mix of soothing blues and browns. Wood-framed windows welcome in plenty of natural light from their street-corner location, and barrel stacks throughout remind guests that winemaking is an essential part of the venue.

As for their first harvest in the new spot, Berson suggests it’s going swimmingly. Space is a little tighter and awareness of nearby city neighbors can be a challenge, but, by and large, crush remains much the same. If anything, the biggest change of pace is being handed to them by the nature of the vintage itself: Berson says an intense stretch of heat, trailed by significant precipitation, rendered the fruit a bit more on the delicate side.

“That said, my vine-tenders pulled some really nice fruit off their plants,” he adds. “We sorted thoroughly, and the ferments are happy and smell delicious.” Berson thinks the 2019s will offer a reset of sorts from the vintages of recent history. “But the wines will achieve classic status, I believe,” he says.

Portland Wine Company will offer celebratory case discounts for its first six operating months. The family-friendly operation is open Thursday–Monday.

The space promises to be a boon for Love & Squalor’s growing wine club, “Friends with Benefits,” and the city’s growing wine scene, which now boasts Love & Squalor’s tremendous catalogue of Rieslings and another dedicated family business.

 Read from their site here —>

IT's official if you are in WINE BUSINESS...

Thanks #winebusiness for the shout out! It feels official, now.

Portland, Ore.—On Thursday, October 24th Matt Berson and Angela Reat, the husband and wife team behind Love & Squalor wine, will open Portland Wine Company, their brand new winery and tasting room. The urban winery will be home to their Love & Squalor wine label which they started in 2006, as well as other projects from the team. Open daily, Thursday through Monday from 4-7pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 1-5pm, the family-friendly Portland Wine Company will offer a menu of light snacks and sharable plates. Flights, glasses and bottles will be available to enjoy at the in the comfortable tasting room. It will be a destination for wine shopping, featuring their complete portfolio of wines from the Portland Wine Company, including their labels, Love & Squalor, Garageland, Mothershucker and the ‘Antsy Pants’ Reserve label, plus other wine projects not available anywhere else. The 5,000 square foot space, is additionally home to tenant winemakers Jackalope Wine Cellars, and Landmass Wines. To celebrate their opening, Portland Wine Company will offer case discounts for the first 6 months.

more to read is here —>

FOOD+WINE Magazine says come visit!

What a nice write up in the FOOD+WINE magazine. You can read it from their site here—>

The article says:

Winemaker Matt Berson, who has a bent towards both literature and sarcasm, named his stellar Willamette Valley winery after the famous J.D. Salinger story, “For Esme, with Love and Squalor.” As Berson puts it, “passion and poverty are two of the building blocks of any worthy endeavor.” Berson served as the president of the board of directors for IPNC in 2019 and provided a backdrop of hilarity most anytime he donned the microphone. His wines, however, are no laughing matter.

With a current lineup of 12 different wines in their portfolio, they are known for their dry Rieslings. But don’t miss the Love & Squalor Temperance Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir ($54) from Eola-Amity Hills. If this was Burgundy, Temperance Hill would be a Grand Cru vineyard. This tiny production wine offers up gorgeous fresh cherry fruit accented by complex layers of chocolate-covered orange peel and mocha spices. They also make white wines, orange wines, and a Gamay Noir and prices range from $20 up to $54.

Their brand new space is Portland sits on a corner street, with windows that open onto the street, making it light and bright. Peer through a glass wall to see wine aging in barrels and check out the Juke Box loaded with classic R&B and “terrible 80s hits” as Berson puts it. There’s a comfy area with tables and chairs, and a small bar to enjoy wines as flights, by the glass or bottle, as well as for takeaway. Light snacks like gourmet popcorn, cheese and charcuterie will be served, and the space may even host the occasional pop-up dining experience.

Appointments available: At their new tasting room opening fall of 2019 at 3201 SE 50th Ave. in Portland, Oregon. NOTE: In the city, not in wine country, and by appointment only at first, then open to the public with regular hours later in the fall. Ask about group tastings with the winemaker in the barrel room.

Fee: $15 per person / waived with a purchase.

Contact: angie@loveandsqualorwine.com or call 503-320-9956

Wine & Spirits Top 50 Wines in America’s Best Restaurants April 2018

Love & Squalor got a great review in the latest Wine & Spirits Magazine. Here's the review:

Year’s Best Pinot Noirs

Our blind panels tasted 1,479 new-release US pinot noirs over the past 12 months. Our critics rated 213 ass exceptional (90+) and 38 as Best Buys. Joshua Greene reviews California wines…Patrick J. Comiskey reviews Oregon. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com

90 points

Love and Squalor 2015 Eola-Amity Hills Temperance HIll Vineyard Pinot Noir

A wine that leads with dark cherry scents and fairly lavish oak notes, this delivers its flavors in a sleek, wood driven character, the dark plum and black cherry fruit spiced up by cinnamon notes and firm, dry tannins. (50 cases) 

—Patrick J. Comiskey

Portland Monthly Magazine Picks Love & Squalor

Portland Monthly Magazine Fall issue listed Love & Squalor Riesling Willamette Valley as one of the "50 wines you need to drink RIGHT NOW!"

WINE PICKS

The 50 Oregon Wines You Need to Drink Right Now
Eight local wine experts give their top bottle picks for every activity, from stormwatching to drinking while you cook.

LOVE & SQUALOR
2014 Sunnyside Vineyard Riesling
Willamette Valley
$48 at Avalon Wine Inc
“ACID! And not the ‘I woke up after a rave’ kind—the lean, mouthwatering, steely, brace-yourself kind. There is a bit of weight and power behind it to balance the austerity.”
Kurt Heilemann

See the whole article here

By Benjamin Tepler  9/13/2017 at 5:28pm  
Published in the October 2017 issue of Portland Monthly

Portland Monthly Magazine's top 50 wines

Guess who is in the top 50 wines chosen by Portland Monthly Magazine—Check out #33!
hint: Love & Squalor Riesling

http://www.pdxmonthly.com/articles/2016/9/13/oregon-s-50-best-wines

33. Love & Squalor

2013 Riesling. 
Willamette Valley, $20
Grapefruit zest and crabapple. Mouth-watering acidity that makes your mouth pop. Earthy. Textural and aggressive. Pair with: choucroute garnie

Wine & Spirits Riesling Resurgent Article features winemaker Matt Berson

From Wine & Spirits Magazine August 2016

Riesling Resurgent
by David Schildknecht

pg 47. "...That Seestedt’s Sunnyside success isn’t some winemaking tour de force is demonstrated not only by his familiar claim to have done as little “making” as possible, but also by the equally vibrant and infectiously juicy 2014 Sunnyside Riesling crafted by Seestedt protégé and former restaurant manager Matt Berson under his Love & Squalor label. Berson, who also works adeptly with the fruit of Richard Cuddihy’s 1971 planting, ferments and raises multiple tiny lots according to differing protocols, one possible explanation for the satisfying complexity of his results. Another intriguing piece of the Sunnyside puzzle—assuming you’re puzzled that riesling this good comes from a place of which few riesling-lovers have heard—is that the vines are trained with so-called Pendelbogen arches, a method that promotes sap distribution and efficient picking, as well as depresses must weights, which might nowadays be advantageous."

The article can be downloaded here

Wine Enthusiast Reviews Are In!

“Fine winemaking is on display here...”

— Paul Gregutt Wine Enthusiast June 2015

love & squalor WV Riesling 2013 - 93 Points - Editor's Choice
This packs tremendous flavor into a low-alcohol wine with moderate residual sugar. Peach pit and juice, green apple and citrusy acids start it off. The flavors keep going through a long, complex finish, adding subtle notes of herb and cut grass.

love & squalor Antsy Pants Riesling 2011 - 92 Points
Ignore the silly name and focus on the important particulars—old vine (planted 1976), wild yeast, biodynamic farming. Absolutely bone-dry yet bursting with complex minerality, citrus rind, and penetrating acidity, it has phenolics that give length, breadth and detail.

love & squalor WV Pinot Noir 2012 - 91 Points - Editor's Choice
Fine winemaking is on display here, as the blend includes grapes from six far-flung vineyards. It’s artfully melded, with brambly berries, Bing cherries, cola, cocoa and red licorice notes. Seamless and buttressed with natural acids, it’s not at all reliant on barrel flavors, having seen just 6% once-filled oak, with the rest neutral.

love & squalor Antsy Pants Pinot Noir 2011 - 91 Points
The proprietary name indicates that this is the winemaker’s reserve cuvée, a three-barrel selection mixing equal proportions of grapes from the Eola Hills, Dundee Hills and Ribbon Ridge AVAs. It’s austere, tight and yet authoritative, showing compact wild berry fruit, Mediterranean herbs and a slight saltiness. It’s best to cellar it until 2020, or give it a good long decant.

link to them here

Thanks Mr. Gregutt

Portland Monthly: "Oregon's 50 Best Wines" 2014

THE GRAPEVINE

Oregon's 50 Best Wines 2014

It takes a village to taste and rank more than a thousand bottles of wine. Luckily, we’ve got lots of friends.

Published Sep 26, 2014, 8:04am

Edited by Allison Jones

Gone are the days of the wine critic’s monopoly on taste. Here in Oregon, nuance is king, oddball wines are winning, and old-school winemakers are defying expectations with lighter, more eclectic styles. For this year’s annual blind tasting of Oregon’s wide world of wine, we rallied 13 of our favorite grape-stained wretches to uncork more than a thousand bottles. The results were clear: great wine is great wine, regardless of hue, price, or region. We were so pleased and surprised with our final ranking that this year we decided not to divide our list by category, but by ranking alone. So in celebration of Oregon’s new era of grape diversity, we raise a glass to 17 varietals from around the state in a single list, allowing the pinot noir to entwine with the pinot blanc, the Riesling with the tempranillo, the merlot with the Melon de Bourgogne. It is a true democracy of wine, and it’s time you added your palate to the chorus

29. Love & Squalor
2011 Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley, $24 

97 Food-friendly and easy-drinking, this fresh, vibrant bottle is your go-to for a weeknight dinner with friends.

“What I love about Matt Berson’s wines are their simplicity. He works with the varietals he loves, and he’s consistent. That’s the trick in my book, and that’s what makes his wines so versatile.”—Sarah Egeland (sommelier, Smallwares)