May 14, 2024
Tortured Vintners Department // Rose Colored Glasses
Today, today is the day we said "I Do" on the Big Island of Hawaii, just the two of us. On May 14, 2013 we eloped and had a traditional wedding ceremony in the middle of a Kona coffee farm under the pouring rain. In Hawaii rain is considered a blessing and a good omen.
Straight From The Tortured Vintners Department.
May 14, 2014 we announced Smith Story Wine Cellars to the world. We then dreamed of celebrating Smith Story Wine Cellars by year ten back on the Big Island with our most loyal customers, friends and family. Today we’re celebrating by delivering wines to loyal restaurant accounts and looking forward to a quiet dinner at the Chef’s counter at one of our favorites in Sonoma County.
Due to the reality in our industry, pretty much since 2017, we have absolutely lived a tortured life as winery owners. It’s truly unimaginable...wildfires, tariffs, relocating cellars, tasting rooms and homes, a global pandemic, freaking cancer and one helluva increase in the cost of living and in doing business. Pure torture for a small, bootstrapped winery with big dreams.
Ten years of building, innovating, increasing revenue each year. Ten years of giving Smith Story Wine Cellars every single breath we inhale and exhale.
What's the closest we’ve come to our hearts exploding? The thrill of releasing a new Smith Story Wine to you, every single year.
Looking Back and to the Future with Rose Colored Glasses.
The meaning of rose colored glasses; a cheerful or optimistic view of things, usually without valid basis. Everyone we know understands why it’s meant to be. Maybe because we’re crazy, maybe we are the only ones who can see the light pulling us through.
We’re the ones who have seen your smiles after sipping Smith Story wines, read your emails full of kindness and encouragement, been able to hug thousands of necks in gratitude over the years and we’re the ones that continue to push with strength, integrity and passion for Smith Story Wine Cellars. Our wines are impressive, we are so very proud.
Thank you for believing in us. The next ten years are full of making Smith Story dreams come true. Those dreams include you, still enjoying and sharing the spirit of Smith Story. Raise a glass in celebration with us tonight!
In gratitude,
Ali & Eric
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Join Us // Invite Us
Wine of the Week: 2019 Smith Story Cabernet Franc, Sonoma County
Last week here in Sonoma County began with loads of new spring sunshine. By Friday we had dark skies cut with rays of sunlight peeking through big white cartoon-like clouds with bright rainbows that filled the gaps.
A glass of our 2019 Smith Story Cabernet Franc was in hand when a rainbow hit our kitchen windows and stopped Ali in her tracks. A magical wine and magical moment. A handful of cases available.
Spring Wine Release Shipping
If picking up in Healdsburg, please let us know in advance by emailing tastings at smithstorywines.com so we can properly host you.
Keep an eye out for your tracking number email if your orders are being shipped. Reminder: once you receive your tracking number any and all shipping changes must be handled by you through the carrier. Smith Story can not make changes for you once the shipment has left our hands.
April 2 // The All American Wine Story
Join us at the Glen Ellen Star for an evening of celebration. A 5-course dinner pairing with our new Spring Wine Releases and a few "First Borns". To reserve a seat at this very special dinner with us. A Celebration of 10 Years of Smith Story Wine Cellars... you won't want to miss!
Visit the Smith Story tasting room.
Oh guests are enjoying our new plant-based cheese pairings. Please reserve in advance as we coordinate with husband wife team at Nova Terra Creamery in Calistoga on the freshest deliveries of their handmade cheeses.
You may also select from other offerings listed on TOCK. No reservations required for wine and vintage sundries shopping of course. Open Hours: Thursday - reservation only. Friday-Monday reservations and walk-ins welcome. Bring your wine-loving friends to Smith Story!
Last Call!
Less than 12 Storyteller memberships available for the Spring Release. For those of you new to the Smith Story Mailing List... this is the last call for our 2024 Spring release Wines. A very limited amount is available for purchase on smithstoryswines.com this week only. Storytellers receive savings on wine, shipping and a growing list of benefits too. To join.
Smith Story Socials // Invite us over
The 2024 calendar is filling up, dates available for West Coast & Bay Area socials are the most flexible. Reach out to Dusty to coordinate an up-close and personal fabulous Smith Story Wine tasting with us in your home. Details
See you soon, thank you for your loyal support and Sharing The Smith Story!
- Ali & Eric
5995 Bottles!
March 16, 2024
I woke up this morning to check the numbers. First thing that flashed in my head was standing in line as a young girl wearing my grass-stained soccer uniform with sweat dripping down my face saying "good game" while high-fiving the winning team.
But in this case, there was no real opponent, only a big challenge for our winery.
The angst of a small winery was stacked against us from the start. For example, no budget to hire cool celebrities like George Clooney or Taylor Swift to endorse Smith Story or buy ads in wine magazines (do you even read these nowadays?). These days personal email communication is the best way our three-person staff can reach you. We did and do what we can also using social media to spread the word.
A close friend called to tell us he was going to look for our wines at a retail chain Total Wine. Which he of course didn't find Smith Story Wines. Since the debaucles of 2020, we don't make that much wine these days to afford massive 3-tier distribution. Those of you who know the history of William Selyem for example, those guys started making wine in their garage buying grapes from family owned vineyards, it wasn't until very recent years that you could find their wines in retail establishments.
Oh a stealth (and beautiful) wine foundation is set however! Between our single vineyard Smith Story Wines, Lord Sandwich wines, BRAVE and Eric Story Selections from Europe, we have created a very scalable wine company! The time has come for us to partner with a winery who can help us grow to the levels of success we began working so hard at for a decade now. The future is a bright one!
Hat's Off to You!
We'll take this campaign and 5995 number as a big win! Many new Smith Story fans placed orders, local fine wine accounts stepped up to support, dozens of new Storytellers joined and best of all, our most loyal supporters of Smith Story Wine Cellars gobbled up "first borns" and are saving a chunk of change on shipping and on wine prices. THANK YOU!
Our sincerest gratitude goes out to each of you reading this today, thank you for sharing our story and enjoying The Spirit of Smith Story Wine! Ten years of your incredible encouragement and support, we are so very lucky to have you with us. What is next? A special tiny lot release is coming in May. And also, you'll see and hear from us on what to cook with Smith Story Wines this summer. We are working on a new series in the kitchen for you to have some fun with!
Cheers to the first ten years of Smith Story Wines and to the strength and delight of ten more to come!
In love and gratitude,
Ali & Eric
And so it begins...Start-up Mode.
In all honesty, we are scared to death during these beginning months of building the foundation for Smith Story Wine Cellars. Besides our years in the wine business, both Eric and I have been working full-time before we were old enough to legally drive - so we know our work ethic and drive at the very least will make this happen. What we are scared to death about the most is:
- Keeping our first years of marriage stress-free
- Fees and business areas that are foreign to us while in start-up mode
- Taking on investors
One: Smith Story Wine Cellars is sorta like our newborn, this little bundle comes complete with feelings of joy and sleep deprivation from worry. Well, thank goodness we have plenty of wine to help relax us and a million-dollar view from our rental home in San Rafael as we will be taking staycations for a long while. So #1 we aren't too worried about. Plus Lord Sandwich (our giant Goldendoodle provides us with hourly laughs). And we love each other so much it may sicken others.
Two: As for getting into the real art of understanding new business licenses, to LLC or to INC, setting up bank accounts, reporting taxes (um yeah, we won't be selling anything for awhile), paying experts to help us swim through all this with either wine trade, dog sitting, baked goods /BBQ ribs, wine sales or hard cash is also part of the plan. Holy %#!@ this is hard, confusing, and crazy stressful part of starting a new business. We just want to do it right from the beginning. Breath, just breath. I also find my self praying a little more each week, God give us strength and the insight to make right decisions each day. Seriously. Don't sweat the small stuff. I repeat.
It's truly when Eric and I are in the vineyards, talking to our winemaking team, tasting wines that excite us is what exactly keeps us filled with courage and pressing on to make this happen and become sustainable. We are determined.
Three: We are not starting with a small fortune, we are starting with our sleeves rolled up ready to rock this business plan. Neither one of us come from money or cashed out from Silicon Valley lucky-cards and we've hardly borrowed a dime before. We've worked for everything we have, memories and material things alike. A handful of folks have reached out in asking how they can invest (seems that Eric & I are a live-and-in-person solid business plan together).
All that we know is that investors are crucial for us in the first few years of building. We are listening with great intent and are overwhelmed by the amount of support and generosity that MAY happen. Making an investment in Smith Story Wine Cellars is long-term and according to our massive forecasts will be a safe place (unless Acts of God happen) for our investors - plus they'll have plenty of great wine along the way.
This scary new frontier will soon pass, the vines are already singing for an incredible 2014 Harvest ahead and by this time next year with all our might & hope - our first wine offerings will be released and sold-out. There's a reason the words "Start-up Mode" is a part of the new business process and I can not wait to look back and smile at all that we've accomplished on day... sooner than later!
This is Our Story.
- Ali
The Introduction
Oh here we go, onto a new chapter for Eric & I as we've reached our 1 year wedding anniversary. Today marks the official debut of Smith Story Wine Cellars - giving birth of sorts to our newest little bundle of joy!
Best to answer the top questions of the day:
Yes - we are still 100% working our regular jobs (K&L Wine Merchants & TexaCali Wine Co.) and are grateful for your continued enthusiasm of our wine regions and winery clients we support so diligently. To quote the pioneering Philip Togni we are not starting "with a small fortune". We are working like mad to make this next Chapter in our lives come together and prosper.
NO - we are not producing Riesling from California, we feel it's best to leave that up to our pals over in Germany.
Many elements of our beginnings are written on the website, but I must be honest here and tell the world that for over a decade, the vision of walking through a vineyard in the Anderson Valley hand-in-hand with Eric Story along with our loyal dogs has stuck with me each and every day.
The winery name was spontaneously created while sitting & sipping rum on the stunning Mauna Kea beach on the Big Island of Hawaii ... where we tied-the-knot 12 months ago in the hills of Holualoa. Eric and I both paused after hearing Smith Story Wine Cellars. Though not sure who blurted it out first, we thought the name had a nice ring, and man could our stories go far and wide with all that we've worked so hard to accomplish in the wine business over the past decade.
So I ask you to follow Our Chapters, become involved with Our Story and please support our new small family business. The best way to do so now is to sign up for our mailing list.
Yeah yeah, we are following our dreams and all that, but it's our biggest wish to create a sustainable winery that can support not only the 2 of us, but all the vineyard growers we partner with, our wonderful winemaking team and everyone else involved with the entire supply chain of making and selling fine wines from California.
A number can't possibly be guessed on the many wine producers that have inspired us in our lifetime. Eric and I are so very humbled and honored to start this new chapter in our lives.
This is Our Story,
Ali