An Afternoon at Dynamis Estate Wines
Journey to the Center of the Blog
By Dathan Kazsuk and Jennifer Primrose
Sometimes, the best interviews happen when you least expect it—like a magic trick, but with more wine and fewer rabbits.
That's precisely what went down when we rolled up to Dynamis Estate Wines in Jonesville, meeting Mat Worrell and Katy Kidd for an afternoon of industry gossip and excellent vino.
It all began with a highly professional direct message to Mat on Facebook (because that's how the pros do it), inquiring if they would be available on Sunday for a quick chat about upcoming story ideas. Mat, ever the accommodating host, responded with a casual "Sure! What time?" I replied, "Noon," and just like that, the deal was sealed—no contracts, no formalities, just a digital handshake.
We arrived fashionably on time, cruising up the 2.5-mile stretch of mountain road toward the tasting room. When we stepped out of the car, Mat greeted us like long-lost friends. Inside, they'd set up a "Welcome Dathan" display—because nothing says VIP quite like seeing your name in print—complete with four wine glasses and tasting sheets. Classy.
Katy joined the party shortly after, and I handed them both wireless mics. There was no stiff Q&A session here—I've been doing this for over 30 years; if I need a notepad at this point, we’ve got bigger problems. This was a chat, a back-and-forth fueled by great wine and even better company.
We kicked things off with their only white at the moment, the Sauvignon Blanc, and let the conversation flow like, well, wine. No topic was off-limits—NC wine trends, the agony and ecstasy of events and tastings, sales slumps, wine prices, influencer hype—you name it. All while casually working through the tasting lineup, with us occasionally getting an extra splash here and there. Oh, and did I mention the fondue and charcuterie? Yeah, it was a rough gig.
What I thought would be a quick hour morphed into a leisurely 90 minutes, then stretched to an entire two-hour wine-fueled brainstorm session. I kept insisting we didn't want to take up their entire afternoon, but Mat countered with a grin, "We blocked off the whole day for you guys." Cue the warm fuzzies.
And just when we thought we'd wrapped up, they whisked us off to the winery for some behind-the-scenes sips—starting with a rosé from the amphora egg, then moving on to a Fumé Blanc aging in oak barrels. We tasted a not-yet-released Petit Verdot, and then Mat pulled out the big guns—a 16-plus percent ABV Cabernet Sauvignon straight from the barrel.
Finally, a surprise apple-based dessert wine from their on-site orchard—because why not end with a bit of sweet rebellion?
But wait—there's more! Mat, not content with us leaving sober-minded, cracked open a vintage Mountain Red blend and the Omega wines we somehow missed earlier. Another hour slipped by as we dove deeper into the state of the wine industry, our brains swirling as much as the wine in our glasses.
When all was said and done, we rolled in at 11:48 am and didn’t stumble out until 4:38 pm. Five hours, endless pours, and more quotes than we can fit in one article. Thanks to Mat and Katy—you'll definitely see their words (and wines) in upcoming stories. Cheers to unexpected marathons of wine and wisdom!
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