Tastemaker Matthew Bradley
By Editor, CitySipper Los Angeles
Tags: Matthew Bradley, Primitivo Wine Bistro, Venice, Wine Tastemakers
WHERE TO FIND HIM: Pouring wine from behind the bar at Primitivo Wine Bistro in Venice, where’s he’s been bartending five days a week for over four years.
WHY HE LIKES IT: With over 100 wines to pour by the glass, he has a lot of options to help customers explore new wines.
ADVICE FOR NEWBIES: Wine can be somewhat intimidating, especially with Primitivo’s long wine list. When a customer asks for a recommendation, the first question he asks them is to explain what they like using a lot of adjectives. From there, he asks them if they prefer white wine or red; light, medium, or heavy; and spicy, velvelty, or fruity. Matthew’s philosophy, “It’s all about the adjectives.”
WHAT MAKES PRIMITIVO UNIQUE: With the delicious tapas menu, no one comes in for jut one dish. The more dishes a customer orders, the more unique pairing he can suggest.
THE LATEST TREND AT THE BAR: Instead of producing a valid ID, a few people have offered to show him their Facebook profile to prove their age. He couldn’t accept the offer, but thought it was funny.
ON TALL WINE GLASSES: Nice wine glasses make all the difference. He remembers an incident which occurred after the restaurant bought beautiful new glasses with stems twice the normal height. After a tasting, he put a rack of 25 of them through the dishwasher, which was made for wine glasses of normal height, and like a lawnmower, it cut off all the stems with one sweep.
THE BACKUP CAREER: Matthew has a secondary social studies degree and was teaching before he started his career in wine, so teaching high school would fit him perfectly. He does concede that his teaching skills also come in handy at the bar, and he wouldn’t change that for the world.
BEST CUSTOMER COMPLIMENT: That he contributed to their experience and made the night fun.
WHAT HE’S DRINKING NOW: Mathew chooses his wine depending on his food, so it’s really all about what he’s eating. Usually, he will start with a nice light white and finish with a complex wine with food. Afterward, it’s all about big jammy California Syrahs. Naturally, he admits, “Whatever’s in my glass is my favorite at that moment.”
PERFECT DAY OFF: Easy. The Steelers win the Superbowl.
