Finding Your Inner Fuil: Wine Pairing Luncheon with Fuil Wines

I recently had the pleasure of attending an LA Wine Writers luncheon at Lunetta in Santa Monica, where we enjoyed a four-course meal paired with wines from Fuil Wines and were introduced to the intriguing winemaker behind the label.

Fuil is the Irish/Gaelic word for "life blood". In modern Scots, it translates to "fool." Both meanings resonated when the husband-and-wife team behind the label: Matt and Carolina Espiro Jaeger were naming their wine.

Matt is an actor who moved from Wisconsin to Los Angeles in 2003, built a career on screen and stage, and then, as Matt shared, experienced "mild insanity" that led him to winemaking. Carolina is a thriving filmmaker from Chile. Together, they've channeled their creative instincts into a passion project.

They make their wines in Camarillo and are planning to open a tasting room there in early 2027. In the meantime, you can find them at monthly pop-ups at Black Market Liquor Bar in Studio City (Sundays, 1–4pm), purchase online, or join their wine club - the cleverly named "Kindred Fuils" - which offers you access to their wines and free tastings at their pop-ups.

Fuil's grapes come from Santa Barbara County, where cool Pacific breezes naturally preserve the acidity and freshness in the fruit.

Their winemaking approach leans on two techniques:

• Early picking: harvesting before the grapes get too ripe, which keeps the wines lively and structured rather than jammy and heavy.

• Whole cluster / stem inclusion: meaning the grapes are fermented with their stems still attached. This is a technique that adds a strong backbone and supports wine aging.

  
  

The result: wines with European elegance and bright California fruit or as Matt puts it, “bringing old world structure to new world flavor”.

The backdrop for this lunch was Lunetta which is known for highlighting locally grown food that is sourced responsibility to create seasonal California cuisine.

Welcome Wine:

Brea Sauvignon Blanc (Sta. Rita Hills)

"Brea" means delightful or beautiful

Destemmed and fermented with native yeasts (the wild yeasts naturally present on the grapes or in the winery), this was a refreshing Sauvignon Blanc. The pale lemon color suggests something light and simple, but it delivers a rounder, more substantial texture than you'd expect. Grapefruit leads on the palate, followed by a hint of fresh-cut grass and a clean, stony mineral finish.

1st Course Pairing:

Confit Green Garlic Valdivia Farms Tomato, Stracciatella, Wild Arugula

·       2024 Fuil Viognier, J+K Vineyard from Ballard County. 

Viognier is a white grape known for big, perfumed aromas, such as tropical fruit and flowers. What makes this one special is the restraint. The grapes were foot-trodden (yes, literally), given brief skin contact in the sun, and aged in neutral French oak barrels (meaning the barrels don't impart much flavor of their own, letting the wine speak for itself).

The J+K Vineyard sits at the base of a steep slope in Ballard Canyon, and Pacific sea fog rolls in regularly through the Gaviota Pass.  This keeps acidity bright and freshness intact. On the nose: guava and orange blossom. On the palate: custard, white guava, and a structured acidity that kept the dish's richness in check.

2^nd Course Pairing:

Crab Cake w/ Sweet Pepper Aioli

·       2025 Fuil Solas Nua, Santa Barbara County.

"Solas Nua" means "new light" in Irish

This is a chillable red which is a style that's been gaining traction but often gets dismissed. Matt set out to prove any chilled red wine haters wrong. The blend is 85% Mourvèdre and 15% Viognier, made entirely with whole clusters. It is intended to be served slightly cool, as you would a white wine.

Strawberry and pomegranate on the nose give way to tobacco and underripe cherry on the palate with a subtle sandalwood note from the stems that holds the whole structure together. Refreshing and delightful alongside the crab cake.

3^rd Course Pairing:

 Wood Grilled Hangar Steak w/ Blistered Tomato, Cornichons, Kennebec Fries

·       2023 Fuil Rua Grenache/Syrah from Ballard County. 

"Rua" means red (or ginger-haired)

A pretty garnet in the glass, this blend leans earthy and spicy.  On the nose: cedar, leather, black pepper, a hint of chocolate-covered red fruit. It has a somewhat savory finish with an umami quality that paired perfectly with the grilled steak.

4^th Course Pairing:

Chocolate Truffle Cake w/ Whipped Cream

·       2022 Fuil Syrah, J+K Vineyard, Ballard County. 

100% whole cluster Syrah from steep slopes. This is a cool-climate Syrah through and through: dark cherry, plum, white pepper, and forest floor. Aged 17 months in one-third new oak barrels, which contributes firm tannins (the texture-giving compounds that help wine age) and depth. It has years ahead of it, but is already drinking beautifully.  On the palate a bit of smoke, cherry, and savory earthiness worked perfectly together as well as with the chocolate dessert.

Final Thoughts:

What I love about catching a winery at this stage…before the tasting room and wide distribution, is that you are tasting the intention of the wine. The vision before it scales.

Fuil Wines has a clear point of view: structured, site-expressive, old-world in technique, California in spirit. Matt and Carolina bring the same creative ambition to the winery that they bring to their art - and it shows in every glass.

I'm genuinely excited to see what comes next.

Fuil Wines pop-ups: Black Market Liquor Bar, Studio City (Sundays 1–4pm), Wine club & online shop: fuilwines.com Tasting room: coming to Camarillo in early 2027