Episode 386 of I’ll Drink to That! was released recently and features Mathieu Deiss, who works with his father at Domaine Marcel Deiss in Alsace, France.
You can have the sense listening to Mathieu Deiss that he carries the entire weight of history and the broad diversity of viticulture on his shoulders. But it seems he prefers this way. This is not someone who would like to make things easier for himself, or who would readily embrace a simple answer. Where someone else might see clear avenues, Mathieu Deiss perceives curves and complexities in the direction. He greets questions with many answers, or rather with a skepticism about the terms: are we being sure to embrace the fullness of the subject, the array of questions that should come along in any particular instance? Mathieu would prefer fewer pleasantries and more profundity from an interlocutor. Which is understandable. He approaches with his own ideas an area with a long history, and he does so with a seriousness of purpose. If we would like to understand all of what he is saying, it is assumed we should adopt this stance as well. The result can be thought-provoking, it can be inspiring, or it can be a reminder that in wine, nothing is so simple. Mathieu has answers that are also questions, in response to a world that he thinks has been too quick to make up its mind. If you want to consider unmaking up your own mind about wine, he is a great guide.
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I’ll Drink to That is the world’s most listened-to wine podcast, hosted by Levi Dalton. Levi has had a long career working as a sommelier in some of the most distinguished and acclaimed dining rooms in America. He has served wine to guests of Restaurant Daniel, Masa, and Alto, all in Manhattan. Levi has also contributed articles on wine themes to publications such as The Art of Eating, Wine & Spirits magazine, Bon Appetit online, and Eater NY. Check out his pictures on Instagram and follow him on Twitter: @leviopenswine.
