The Eclectic Journey of Matty Colston `98, Crafting Wines with Creative Soul

According to his Varyer.com bio, Matty Colston is a sommelier turned vintner négociant, sourcing grapes from organic vineyards through connections to create bespoke limited-run wines marked by their rugged transparency and cultural temporality. He also DJs and likes to look at wine under a microscope.

And while we have no intention of examining Matty, a graduate from the Class of 1998, under a microscope, there is so much more to him than his seemingly boundless bio conveys.

He was nominated for best sommelier in Chicago.
“While attending Denison University, I realized what I really wanted to do was get out into the world. I didn’t find my rhythm in college, it felt like an extension of high school, so I moved to Chicago and felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be at that time. I worked in restaurants, and that suited my personality. I attended Columbia College to study photography and graphic design, which were passions of mine, but I kept getting more serious about wine. I feel like I spent a whole lifetime in hospitality in Chicago; it’s in my bones even though it can be quite exhausting. I went up through the ranks of respected restaurants and wine bars and in 2017 was nominated for best sommelier in Chicago while working at the Michelin-starred restaurant Parachute. Being nominated was a pivotal moment for me. To realize that if I could be nominated for doing something that I’m good at, but with waning passion and a desire to be more creative, then what could I accomplish if I put my efforts toward something that allowed for more self-expression? So I left Chicago in 2018 to start my wine label – Colston Biblio – and worked under the tutelage of a friend of mine, Brianne Day. Fast forward six years and now I feel like I’ve found my niche where I can express myself and collaborate with other creative people. I was always a supporter of Oregon wines and had a lot of connections in the Pacific Northwest, so it seemed like a natural next step.”

His dream in high school did not include working in the wine industry.
“My dream in high school was to put music to movies. I became obsessed with film and a wide-ranging spectrum of music. I can't emphasize enough how important of a figure Merle Black [retired history teacher] was to me. He was my homeroom advisor, cross country coach, and movies elective teacher. He was such a formative figure in my life. I like the idea of everyone being treated the same, not putting performance on a pedestal, and paying thoughtful attention to everyone. Mr. Black did all those things and was funny and lighthearted, with his own spark of goofiness. My interest and skills were harnessed by the people – like Mr. Black – who saw me through the things I was good at. At times I wish I was a better student, but it didn't come naturally to me. It was important to me, though, to be good at the things I enjoyed. I don’t know if I would have established as much confidence in myself if I had attended a bigger school.”

He is a DIY person.
“My wine label, Colston Biblio, which is short for ‘bibliography,’ is an approach where everything I create gets a catalog number and over time it looks like a comprehensive body of work. But Colston Biblio is not just the brand, it's me – constantly evolving with everything I create and with everyone I collaborate with. I'm a very DIY person and enjoy being hands-on. I get a lot of satisfaction from the hard, physical labor and how it’s tied to something I'm passionate about. Wine allows me to continually be a student and a lifelong learner. You could have a master sommelier certificate and still not know everything there is to know about this 8,000-year-old cultural product. I’ve doubled production to around 600 cases this year, which is awesome but if I keep growing this business I’m going to need help, which is something I’m working on.”

Being a curator is important to him.
“I was a musician for a while, played in a band in college, and also got into DJing. I still play often and have developed a reputation for having an extensive taste in music but, ultimately, I extract the most joy by turning people onto new things and experiences. I've met a lot of people and because I put such an emphasis on collaboration; I find combining all efforts across my connections to be a very soulful thing. I enjoy standing up for other independent artists and musicians, and making connections between people and ideas and industries that might not seem to have a natural link...all part of the magic! I feel like I have a unique ability to see how the pieces come together and then present that in the world of wine. I like when people open a bottle of my wine and can’t figure out how to categorize it but still notice a thread of personality throughout all my wines; they are essentially a reflection of who I am.”

He considers himself to be a global citizen.
“I grew up in Terrace Park, but I have never exactly fit in anywhere nor have I been one to follow trends or clichés. I had a lot of friends in and out of high school but didn’t fit into any one group, which I think suited as well as shaped me: it’s in my nature to be around different people from different backgrounds. I’m a very curious and open person, and I think that was harnessed during my time at Country Day, with our small class size and the diversity we had in my class and the grades around mine. I look at my Country Day peers nowadays and it’s really nice – and sometimes intimidating – to hear how successful some of them are and how they’re impacting the world. But when I reflect on my own life, I feel I’ve become a global citizen and that’s important to me. I see others from my class making big noise in the world and that’s something I yearn for as well. I don’t think I was fully ready to go out into the world when I was 18, but through the choices I’ve made in my life, I’ve made an impact on a global culture and I’m really proud of that.”

His advice for current students is to remember that…
“It’s OK to not be on a path. I’ve always been a little on the weird side, it’s always been in my nature. I had wild-colored hair and was obsessed with sneakers before it was cool to line up for sneaker drops. And people might make fun of you; that’s going to happen. But it’s good to remember that nobody’s normal. I don’t love the word ‘normal,’ it’s distracting to me. In high school, sometimes it was hard, isolating even, to know and feel I was different. But life is hard for everybody at one time or another, but that is the magic sauce that builds character. It’s important to acknowledge each other. Remember, everyone can feel unseen at times, so do your best to be aware and hold patience to see and notice one another.”

His life goals are always changing.
“That target of ‘What is my goal in life?’ is always moving. I'm an unconventional, out-of-the-box person. It’s been hard to come to terms with my wanderlust, which I've had since I was a child. But there is a tempo here in Portland [Oregon] that suits me right now. When I think about my goals, I like the direction I'm going with winemaking, but it isn’t always as romantic as it sounds; it’s very hard and sometimes even dangerous, gritty work. But I just keep following my heart toward more peace in my surroundings and presence in the moment, using goals that have been achieved as well as those that have fizzled out. I am rarely sure what I ultimately want to achieve in life, which can be difficult and seems wishy-washy, but that is why I revisit my goals every five years or so – to put more emphasis on what I’ve accomplished (or not) in order to set my sights at the chapters ahead. Many of the goals from five years ago are not relevant anymore but that shows I’ve evolved. I undoubtedly march to the beat of my own drum and I like the sound of that beat; it’s my own music and my own form of art.”

Matty is also the author of the column "Stained Glass," which you can check out here.