Wine Director Matthew Kaner of Bar Covell - Biography

After leaving his high school job as a restaurant manager in Santa Barbara, Matthew Kaner decided to test the waters in the wine industry. The Wine Cask was hiring for a sales position in their wine store, an interview was conducted, and days later Kaner began working in a job that changed the course of his life. But leaving Santa Barbara had always been on his mind, and so the leap from comfort to the unknown became harder and harder to avoid.

Upon arriving in Los Angeles in 2006, Kaner initially found work as a tour manager (before wine, he fell in love with music), and also did some touring of his own as Matthew Kaner & the Coalition. The Silverlake sublet that lured Kaner to L.A. was rented by a screen writer who was traveling in Europe. Left on his desk was a postcard for Silverlake Wine, less than a half mile away. Perusing every bottle in the store, Matthew recognized a lot, but also realized he didn't know many of the wines—the place was special. A week later Kaner emailed the shop, attached his resume, and asked if they needed any help. He started three days a week at the shop. It turned into a full-time job, then a salaried position, and eventually it turned into his life. Three and a half years later, Kaner was asked to join the team at Bar Covell as manager and wine director.