Introducing the 2018 Hot Brands — Smith Story Wine Cellars
Every year, when Wine Business Monthly creates our annual list of Hot Brands, we look for vintners, growers, wineries and wines that are making a statement in our industry. Quality is always an important consideration, but Hot Brands is more than a list of the “best” or most interesting wines we’ve tasted during the year.
When we set out to choose our Hot Brands, our goal is to always represent the American wine industry. Often, that means discovering a new winery in an established region while also paying homage to the stalwarts who continue to move the industry forward. It means we look at wineries in non-West Coast, “traditional” winemaking states, or those who might be bucking a trend or trying new techniques. Our editors look for wines that are embodiments of national trends or have soaring sales. Sometimes we’ll choose the winemaker, not the wine….
January 2019: Marin Magazine
Three couples who took a risk and leaped into the world of bottling amazing tastes.
What: Smith Story Wine Cellars
Who: Eric Story and Ali Smith-Story
Where: Windsor and Philo
Husband and wife Eric and Ali met while working at K&L Wine Merchants in San Francisco and founded their winery in 2013 with a vision of making wine that “wine people” drink. The duo launched a Kickstarter campaign in 2014 called “Farmers First” and became the first American winery to be crowdfunded. Smith Story makes a wide range of wines from Sonoma and Mendocino counties, as well as wines from Germany’s Rheingau. Presently it produces over 4,000 cases a year and has been recognized as one of California’s top emerging wineries.