Meet Matt Carvalho, Co-Founder of Aesop Wines.
What inspired you to start AESOP. Wines©?
Knowing that wine has the ability to connect people is why we started the business. Wine has been connecting people for thousands of years and we wanted to be able to contribute to maintaining that sacred part of the culture. There is something very romantic about the entire process of making wine. You can reduce it down to sun, rain and soil; it's beautifully simple - yet incredibly complex. Our hope is that our actions and company values serve as an inspiration to our neighbors and friends who share in this community with us. A shared sense of purpose is our highest calling. We are one of many; all of us are connected.
What values drive you in your day to day business?
We love the process of making clean wine, both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Our business is driven by creativity and the dedication to micro improvements every day. We work in close proximity to nature and rely on design thinking to solve adaptive challenges surrounding dynamic shifts in the market, as well as constantly improving the products and services we are proud to provide our customers. We wake up every day excited by the challenges that our industry demands. Knowing what’s involved with the entire winemaking process, we take a holistic creative approach to how we operate. This means we are not afraid of change, but rather, we welcome it. The result of this approach is fundamentally built to provide the best output for our customers in the products we make as well as the experiences we create.
How did you decide on a visual direction for the brand?
The visual direction is inspired by the California landscape. The color palette and aesthetic is a reflection of the beauty we see on a daily basis here in Northern California.
One of the main attributes to our visual language is the warmth and approachability it has. It is important to us that we maintain a humanist tone so that nobody feels left out or like they don't belong.
We take our winemaking craft very seriously, yet at the same time, we don't want the brand to be elitist or unwelcoming. There is definitely a healthy tension between premium and unwelcoming.
How do you see your personal lifestyle reflected in the brand you've built?
There is a quiet confidence to our brand that I feel reflects a little bit about me. I find it speaks more to the values of our business - than it does about me. As the business continues to grow, it is starting to take on its own natural maturity.
With each step in the growth journey, it moves itself further away from me. I believe this is a clear sign of healthy growth.
