As we gather around the table, let us remember that the true richness of life lies not in what we possess, but in the joy we find in sharing food, wine, and laughter with those we hold dear.
Matt’s passion in food and wine started at a young age, cooking with his mother in their kitchen in Santa Clara, California. As soon as he was able to enter the workforce, he delved right into the restaurant world. A young start in this business allowed him to develop the full range of skills a true hospitality professional, cultivated through every front-of-house role possible: as a server, sommelier, bartender, wine director, manager, and restaurateur. As he worked his way up through the ranks, he continued to polish his skills through some of the most notable Michelin-starred restaurants such as Michael Mina, Chez TJ, and Manresa.
During this exciting period of personal growth, he also earned his Advanced Sommelier certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers at only 25 years old, passing on his first attempt, an uncommon accomplishment. The same year he wwas also was a regional finalist in competitions such as Top|Somm and the Chaîne de Rôtisseurs ‘Best Young Sommelier Competition’.
His most significant period in the world of restaurants was as the Wine Director for the Crenn Dining Group, consisting of the international acclaimed and awarded restaurants Atelier Crenn, Bar Crenn, and Petit Crenn, all helmed by Chef Dominique Crenn. During his tenure, she achieved both the accolades of World’s Best Female Chef in 2016 by the World 50 Best, as also became the first female chef in the United States to achieve Three Stars from the Michelin Guide. His team was also feature in the global phenomenon Netflix program Chef’s Table in 2017, drawing millions of viewers from around the world. During this time, he also helped concept and create their sister restaurant in San Francisco, Bar Crenn, a 1950’s French inspired wine bar and restaurant which earned a Michelin Star in their first year of operations.
Then, a new adventure in the world of food and beverage marketing, business development, events, and consulting.
In 2018 he decided to leave the full time restaurant world for new challenges, and he became a partner and founder of OMvino, a sommelier-lead marketing & communications agency. As the CEO, he manages a full team that focuses on brand development, marketing, and public relations for food and beverage businesses all around the United States and beyond. In this new role, he has had the incredible opportunity to work with dynamic and disruptive brands all around the world. He has created authentic brand identities, devised unique marketing strategies, assisted startups in raising seed capital, created beautiful websites, and has advised businesses to improve project management and operational systems for scalable success.
However you can take a sommelier out of the restaurant, but you can’t take the restaurant out of the sommelier. His unfaltering love for service and connecting with people through food and wine meant he couldn’t leave restaurant life behind forever - and thus he provides numerous restaurants with nightly service support, as well as helps build programs for new concepts entering the dynamic San Francisco dining scene.
In 2022, he founded his own business - SOMMTROSE- where he could coalesce his passions into a single space. Here, he works as a niche consultant and innovator of bespoke events for private clients, advises on restaurant concepts, manages private cellars, and more. To date, he has worked in over 12 different Michelin Star restaurants in San Francisco, partnered with chefs for events all over California, and has worked staff at many food and wine festivals such as Pebble Beach Food & Wine, LA Food & Wine, and Healdsburg Wine & Food, just to name a few.
His mission is that all his clients feel confident and supported in their own individual food and wine journey in whatever path that may take them, all infused with his passion, personality, and professionalism.