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The Blended Festival Comes To Nashville
San Diego’s sold-out event from 2019 mixes it up in Music City
Sommelier Matthew-Loren Lindsey drifts off to sleep each night with visions of wine-toting concert-goers dancing in his head. True? Who knows. But the idea of bringing wine and wine culture to the forefront of the younger generation is the fuel that revs his engine each day.
“I have this dream and this vision to make wine incredibly approachable to everybody, especially to the younger generation because the [they’re] a little intimidated- actually I stand corrected- they’re very intimidated by the world of wine because it is so complex,” Lindsey explains on The Guest List podcast where he was recently a guest. “That’s why you see the Truleys of the world … and beer taking off because they’re simple. You don’t have to think about it. Crack one open, put it back, and that’s it. Versus when you go to the liquor store or a fancy steakhouse and you say I’d like a glass of wine and they hand you a bible and you’re like, I don’t know what to do with this.”
Having spent the last 15 years as a wine collector and industry leader as an importer and distributor of wine in the Las Vegas casino market, Lindsey is chomping at the bit to branch out. Most notably, he serves as the executive sommelier and director of wine for the Blended Festival, happily curating the wine experience for thousands of festival attendees. “I’m here to tell you that wine is the perfect drink for a music festival,” says Lindsey. I dream of standing in the crowd for Kaskade and, instead of seeing hundreds of hands waving cheap beer cans, it’s glasses of sauvignon blanc.”
What began in 2019 as an exclusive event in San Diego becomes more full-bodied this year with the addition of two cities - Nashville and Austin. And after a year of zilch in the social arena, this festival dubbed “the ultimate social experience” stands to be a powerhouse of a success. Powered by My Wine Society, the popular wine app, festivalgoers will have the chance to socially interact before and during the event, virtually meet other ticket holders, join chat rooms, earn badges, track their wine tastings, interact with wine brands, be the first to know when artists are performing, and gain access to complimentary drinks, tastings, and merch giveaways.
This completely cashless, two-day wine centric event at First Horizon Park boasts a 100-foot wine tent complete with hundreds of wines and a full bar. In addition, Blended’s culinary stage will feature the talents of Chef Scott Baird of Zeppelin, Chef Rebecca Wood of Nashville Studio Menus and Hearts In The Mix and Chef Josh Cook of El Leon Dorado, plus celebrity guests, Nashville country star culinary impressions, and high-energy crowd demonstrations and competitions.
Hungry for more? Stop by food truck row or one of the numerous pop-ups from one of your favorite local restaurants.
The Blended Festival is August 13-14. To purchase tickets, visit blendedfestival.com.
Matthew-Loren Lindsey is the founder of Appellation Wine Brands, a collection of luxury lifestyle wines. He is also the lead wine judge for the Pr%f (Proof) awards, the largest double-blind wine and spirit competition in the United States, and the founder and educator of The Advanced Wine Course, an e-learning platform for wine enthusiasts and novists. Follow him on Instagram @thelordofwine.
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