Podcast appearances and mentions of smith madrone

I recently had an opportunity to sit down with three Napa Valley vintners to discuss several law suits which have been in the news. Lindsay Hoopes founded her winery in Yountville in 1983. Heather Brakesman Griffin's family founded Summit Lake Vineyards on top of Howell Mountain in 1971. Stu Smith founded Smith-Madrone on top of [...]

This week on our Vino Lingo segment we feature Charlie Smith, Winemaker, Smith-Madrone, Spring Mountain, Napa Valley, defining the term “Minerality”.  Learn more by visiting smithmadrone.com

Smith-Madrone Winery dates back to the very early ’70s in Napa Valley, a time when wineries weren’t so common. Stuart and Charlie Smith literally carved out an incredible future in fine wine making back then and have maintained top quality all those years. It’s been way too long since I last sat down with Charlie [...]

This is a baffling story that includes a Napa history lesson, an idea of how the Valley has grown and then a jaunt into intrigue, sting operations, and what appears to be an effort to kill the goose that laid the golden egg by the Napa County government. It seems that the County is going after small wineries in an attempt to bankrupt them out of business.  Friend of the pod, Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone joins to discuss and explain the situation -- at least the parts that have an explanation!  If you want background on Smith-Madrone, check out... Ep 253: Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone Vineyards Talks About 48 Years in Napa Valley Please support small wineries! Now, more than ever they need our help!! Stu Smith, Smith-Madrone Vineyard Lindsay Hoopes, Hoopes Vineyard   Full show notes are on Patreon. Become a member today! www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople _______________________________________________________________ Wine Access  is my go-to source for the best selection of interesting, outstanding quality wines you can't find locally. Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club in time for the first quarter shipment.  Get 10% your first order with my special URL.    To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Brothers Stuart and Charles Smith are the vineyard managers and winemakers of Smith-Madrone Winery. Also in the family attic is the Fetherolf family, German farmers from the Palatinate region, who came to America on the Good Ship Thistle in 1730. The name for the winery came as a tribute to the Smith brothers who pursued their dream and to the Madrone trees which distinguish the property.In May 1971, with a partnership of family and friends, Stuart Smith bought the 'terroir' which today is Smith-Madrone Vineyards & winery. He was 22 years old and had just received his B.A. in Economics from UC Berkeley and was taking classes towards his Master's in Viticulture at UC Davis. In trying to find land to plant vineyard in the Napa Valley, through a family friend he explored a forest on the remotest and highest part of Spring Mountain and discovered that the land had been a vineyard in the 1880s and in fact had been part of the wagon trail route between Napa and Santa Rosa. Today he is respected for his expertise and leadership as a mountain vineyardist.Stuart was born and raised in Santa Monica. Every summer during college, from 1966 – 1970, he worked as a lifeguard on the beaches in Santa Monica. He started at Tower #1 just north of POP Pier, spent some time at the tower just south of the Santa Monica Pier (Muscle Beach) and later spent most of his lifeguarding time north of the Santa Monica Pier. One summer Stu worked on the rescue boat and became friendly with the boat's operator, Lt. Tommy Zahn. Tommy was a legend in the surfing world and also famous for winning the Honolulu-Molokai paddle board race twice, first at age 20 and then again at age 40. Tommy was also famous as Marilyn Monroe's true love. In 1971 the Santa Monica Lifeguards were folded into LA County's lifeguard program.While pursuing his master's at UC Davis, Stuart was the first teaching assistant for wine industry pioneers Maynard Amerine and Vernon Singleton in 1970-1971. He taught enology at Santa Rosa Junior College and Napa Valley College; he has chaired the 1986 and 2006 Napa Valley Wine Auctions. He is an active member of the G.O.N.A.D.S. (the Gastronomical Order for Nonsensical and Dissipatory Society), a group of Napa Valley vintners who started getting together for monthly lunches in the 1980s. He served on Napa County's Watershed Task Force for several years, appointed by the Board of Supervisors; in 2006 he was appointed again by the Board of Supervisors to sit on Napa County General Plan Steering Committee, responsible for updating Napa's General Plan, a three-year project. Stu has also served as auctioneer for an Omaha (NB) charity auction for many years.Stuart served as Scout Master for St. Helena's (Boy Scout) Troop One for many years and continues as the Troop's Chair today. He is an avid canoeist, having canoed through the Quetico Wilderness in Canada many times and often canoes the Klamath and Trinity Rivers in California. He has five children and four grandchildren.Follow The Swirl Suite:SwirlSuite@gmail.com@SwirlSuite www.swirlsuite.comSarita @VineMeUpTanisha @GirlMeetsGlassLeslie @Vino301Glynis @Vino_NoireI'm 

Brothers Stuart and Charles Smith are the vineyard managers and winemakers of Smith-Madrone Winery. Also in the family attic is the Fetherolf family, German farmers from the Palatinate region, who came to America on the Good Ship Thistle in 1730. The name for the winery came as a tribute to the Smith brothers who pursued their dream and to the Madrone trees which distinguish the property.In May 1971, with a partnership of family and friends, Stuart Smith bought the 'terroir' which today is Smith-Madrone Vineyards & winery. He was 22 years old and had just received his B.A. in Economics from UC Berkeley and was taking classes towards his Master's in Viticulture at UC Davis. In trying to find land to plant vineyard in the Napa Valley, through a family friend he explored a forest on the remotest and highest part of Spring Mountain and discovered that the land had been a vineyard in the 1880s and in fact had been part of the wagon trail route between Napa and Santa Rosa. Today he is respected for his expertise and leadership as a mountain vineyardist.Stuart was born and raised in Santa Monica. Every summer during college, from 1966 1970, he worked as a lifeguard on the beaches in Santa Monica. He started at Tower #1 just north of POP Pier, spent some time at the tower just south of the Santa Monica Pier (Muscle Beach) and later spent most of his lifeguarding time north of the Santa Monica Pier. One summer Stu worked on the rescue boat and became friendly with the boats operator, Lt. Tommy Zahn. Tommy was a legend in the surfing world and also famous for winning the Honolulu-Molokai paddle board race twice, first at age 20 and then again at age 40. Tommy was also famous as Marilyn Monroes true love. In 1971 the Santa Monica Lifeguards were folded into LA Countys lifeguard program.While pursuing his master's at UC Davis, Stuart was the first teaching assistant for wine industry pioneers Maynard Amerine and Vernon Singleton in 1970-1971. He taught enology at Santa Rosa Junior College and Napa Valley College; he has chaired the 1986 and 2006 Napa Valley Wine Auctions. He is an active member of the G.O.N.A.D.S. (the Gastronomical Order for Nonsensical and Dissipatory Society), a group of Napa Valley vintners who started getting together for monthly lunches in the 1980s. He served on Napa County's Watershed Task Force for several years, appointed by the Board of Supervisors; in 2006 he was appointed again by the Board of Supervisors to sit on Napa County General Plan Steering Committee, responsible for updating Napa's General Plan, a three-year project. Stu has also served as auctioneer for an Omaha (NB) charity auction for many years.Stuart served as Scout Master for St. Helena's (Boy Scout) Troop One for many years and continues as the Troop's Chair today. He is an avid canoeist, having canoed through the Quetico Wilderness in Canada many times and often canoes the Klamath and Trinity Rivers in California. He has five children and four grandchildren.Follow The Swirl Suite:SwirlSuite@gmail.com@SwirlSuite www.swirlsuite.comSarita @VineMeUpTanisha @GirlMeetsGlassLeslie @Vino301Glynis @Vino_Noire

This week on our Vino Lingo segment we feature Stu Smith, Proprietor, Smith-Madrone Vineyards, Spring Mountain, Napa Valley, defining the phrase “Fire Safe Farming”.  Learn more by visiting www.smithmadrone.com

Many people visit Napa Valley and never get to see the “real” Napa Valley. Several wineries scattered around the Valley represent winemaking at it its very best. These wineries are humble, not super fancy and make the most kick-ass wine you’d ever want to drink. Smith Madrone on Spring Mountain is one of those wineries. [...]

If yo u cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Stuart Smith - Founder/General Partner, Smith-Madrone Winery (Celebrates 50th Anniversary)Tony Lombardi - Founder, Lombardi Wines & Founding Board Member, Hilinski's Hope Foundation    

If yo u cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Stuart Smith - Founder/General Partner, Smith-Madrone Winery (Celebrates 50th Anniversary)Tony Lombardi - Founder, Lombardi Wines & Founding Board Member, Hilinski's Hope Foundation    

Since the start of this podcast over 13 years ago I’ve interviewed Stu Smith several times. I’ve always enjoyed his candor and humor. He’s a very smart guy. This was one of the most fun and highly educating interviews I’ve done with Stu. I enjoyed every minute. Its also one of the few times we [...]

Stu and Charlie Smith have seen big changes in their 50 years at Smith-Madrone Vineyards in the Spring Mountain District of Napa Valley. In part two of our conversation with Stu to celebrate the winery's golden anniversary, while tasting the wines the topics ranged from current and past droughts, to Read more... The post Wine Women – Stu Smith, Smith-Madrone Pt.2 appeared first on Radio Misfits.

Gobsmacked by the insanely beautiful view, the co-hosts couldn't believe their good fortune at being invited to celebrate Smith-Madrone Winery's 50th anniversary, with the founder himself: Stu Smith. Having set up a lovely table and chairs on the terrace overlooking their vineyard, as well as the Napa Valley floor beyond, Read more... The post Wine Women – Stu Smith, Smith-Madrone Pt.1 appeared first on Radio Misfits.

“Brothers Stuart and Charles Smith are the vineyard managers and winemakers of Smith-Madrone Winery located on Spring Mountain in the Napa Valley. Smith-Madrone celebrated their 50th Anniversary on May 14th. The name for the winery came as a tribute to … Continue reading → The post Show 428, June 5, 2021: Stuart Smith, Founder, Smith-Madrone Vineyards & Winery, Spring Mountain, Napa Valley appeared first on SoCal Restaurant Show.

It’s Monday, Let’s raise a glass to the beginning of another week. It’s time to unscrew, uncork or saber a bottle and let’s begin Exploring the Wine Glass! Today we return to Winephabet Street where the letter of the day is R for Riesling!  The history of Riesling isn’t exactly crystal clear. It is presumed that it originated in Germany. If you look to France, you immediately go to Alsace, but if you are looking to California for Riesling, one name comes top of mind, Smith Madrone Winery in St. Helena.  We sat down with Stu Smith and discussed Riesling’s murky history, how Riesling is such a variable grape, one of only few that is produced in all styles from dry to sweet, and stories of how Smith Madrone led the way to being allowed to call the wine Riesling vs. Johannesburg Riesling. In true Stu fashion, we go off the rails a bit… but that is always where the fun happens! Music: WINE by Kēvens Official Video Follow me on Instagram!   Follow me on Twitter! SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES STITCHER | iTUNES | GOOGLE PLAY | SPOTIFY | PODBEAN GIVE US A RATING AND REVIEW

This week on episode 307 of the We Like Drinking podcast we’ll be discussing Fantasy Football ByeLaws, Barrel Aged Kit Kat Bars, and We’re talking Fire and Wine with Stu Smith of Smith- Madrone Winery... so crack open that beer, uncork that wine, and let’s get drinking! Make sure you never miss another episode of our brand of drinking fun by visiting  WeLikeDrinking.com/Subscribe  Panel Introductions And What We’re Drinking Our guest this week first appeared on the show over 100 episodes ago on episode 205. He’s back to continue the discussion of his amazing Spring Mountain winery, the front line battles they dealt with this year with the Napa Valley fires, and there will probably be some rants thrown in for fun, please help us welcome back to the show, Stu Smith! Be sure to follow Smith-Madrone winery on Instagram at Smith_Madrone/ and visit their website at https://www.smithmadrone.com/ Wine, Beer, Spirit, or Pop Culture Reference Ruyak - Bildungsroman Last call That’s right, it's time to break out your phones and give us a hand. Follow us on the socials, Twitter, Instagram and our private group on Facebook known as the Tavern. Also remember to follow Smith-Madrone on Instagram at Smith_Madrone/ Search up the show on Apple Podcast and leave us a big fat 5 star review. And, if you enjoyed this episode in particular, share it with a friend. We picked up another 5 star review this week. And, visit We Like Drinking dot com slash pledge to find out more information about becoming a patron of the show and help  You can also find the show notes for this episode with all the links to the stories or mentions we had at http://welikedrinking.com/episodes

This is Part 2 of a discussion I had with Stu Smith as he reflects on entering their 50th year as Smith Madrone Winery in Napa Valley. You can tell from the trailer that Stu is immensely entertaining, intelligent, passionate about wine and certainly doesn’t hold back sharing what he thinks. We discuss the evolution of wine styles in Napa Valley, the effect of wine “ratings” on the entire wine world, the value and ethics learned from the great outdoors and much much more. You’re in for a real treat and I hope you enjoy. https://smithmadrone.com/ (https://smithmadrone.com/) https://www.instagram.com/smith_madrone/ (https://www.instagram.com/smith_madrone/) https://www.facebook.com/smithmadrone/ (https://www.facebook.com/smithmadrone/)

2020 has been unlike any other, so we are recommending some different things for this year’s annual Thanksgiving show. This year has been tough for everyone, but small, family-owned wineries have been hit pretty hard by fires, lack of tourism, and in some cases, rough harvest conditions. Thanksgiving is the quintessential American holiday, so for this year, especially, we’re recommending that we show support for great American, family-owned wineries and their wines that pair perfectly with any kind of Thanksgiving food you decide to eat.   We start out with a few important announcements: The Wine Resources section of the WFNP site is now live. Check it out!  This year I’m running the holiday book offer again! Details here:   Here are the show notes: Regardless of where you are or who you are with, our #1 Thanksgiving tip this year (in this kind of sucky and restrictive year without our loved ones in many cases): Drink something really fantastic – haul out the wine that you’ve been saving and have it now. Celebrate that you are here, that you are ok, that you will make it through this tough time.   We then spend the show traveling the country from west to east, recommending wines from all the top quality regions: California Santa Barbara: The Pinot is perfect for the meal and really goes with anything. Lumen, Holus Bolus, Ampelos, Dragonette, and Marimar are a few I like Paso Robles: We’re a broken record on this one – Rhône style red and white blends from Tablas Creek, Italian varietals from Giornata, and for red meat fuller “meaty-style” veggies: Hearst Ranch and Halter Ranchfor hefty red blends. Sonoma: The Underground Wine Events Winery list will suffice but we specifically mention excellent rosé of Pinot Noir from Bruliam, tasty sparkling from Keller Estate and Longboard, and, as I mentioned in my piece with the Splendid Table on NPR – ACORN Winery’s Cabernet Franc. Napa: Bearing the brunt of the wildfires this year, we recommend supporting producers who have been affected if you can. Here is a list, but we mention Smith-Madrone (their Riesling is perfect for TG), Cain Winery, Chateau Boswell, and Fairwinds Estate – all whose properties were completely destroyed in the fires. Sierra Foothills: Andis is always my pick and the Semillon is perfect with the herbs of the Thanksgiving feast. The Zin is powerful but nuanced and would be great if you are grilling Oregon Also affect by fires this year and chockful of family owned producers (but make sure you check the big, hulking winery list in the Wine Resources part of the site to avoid buying from a conglomerate), Oregon makes great Pinot Noir, unoaked Chardonnay, and Gamay – all great with every part of a traditional, savory Thanksgiving meal. Some favorites: Bergström, Torii Mor, Cristom, Lingua Franca Washington With more body, power, and alcohol, the wines of Washington are fantastic for grilled foods, beef stews, meatloaf, and hearty food you may decide to have in lieu of traditional TG food. Walla Walla, Yakima, and the larger Columbia Valley AVAs are great. I mention Pepper Bridge, Amavi, Sleight of Hand, Saviah, Hightower, and Delille Texas Hands down, the winning wine in Texas right now is Tempranillo. A bolder, higher alcohol version than the original Spanish wine, these wines will be great with Spanish cheeses (Manchego) and the same foods we mention for Washington wines. Spicewood, Perdenales are mentioned.    We mention Michigan for its Riesling, New Mexico for its large sparkling brand, Gruet, and Colorado for some of its emerging wineries as well   Finger Lakes, New York Riesling, Riesling and more Riesling is my recommendation. Dry, off-dry, sweet, dessert – all work with herbs, spices, butter and fat. Riesling is an MVP – it can also handle curry, Chinese food, Indian spices, and any food with heat. And Finger Lakes, with the traditional peachy, white flower, mineral bouquet, its stupendous acidity and lower alcohol make it a complete must-have. Anthony Road Wine Company’s Late Harvest Vignoles is the dessert wine of the century – a native/hybrid grape made in a sweet style, also noted in the Splendid Table segment.   Long Island, New York From my native land, M.C. Ice and I wax poetic on sparkling wine from Lieb and Sparkling Pointe, and then mention great medium bodied Cabernet Franc and Merlot from these gorgeous island wineries. With these kinds of profiles and more moderate alcohol (make sure to check that’s the case before you buy), you will have reds that can weave their way in and out of hard-to-pair dishes – from green beans to creamed spinach to fried turkey. And the sparkling may be an even better match for all that – but you be the judge.   Virginia It has been a terrible year for the wineries of Virginia. Terrible frost settled at the beginning of the growing season, killing off the vines before they had a chance to form. The tiny harvests were fine but there won’t be much wine to sell from 2020, an unfortunate occurrence in the time of Covid. We mention the fabulous Albariño from Afton Mountain (I mentioned their sparkling, Bollicine, in the Splendid Table segment) and unoaked Chardonnay from Pollak, which are our seafood picks, as well as the versatile whites and reds of Linden and Glen Manor. We highly recommend dessert wine from VA – it’s a perfect end to the meal!   We are so grateful for you and we hope you open something fantabulous to celebrate that you are making it through this year, no matter how hard it has been!   Elizabeth and M.C. Ice   _______________________________________________ Thanks to our sponsors this week: Wine Access  Visit: www.wineaccess.com/normal and for a limited time get $20 off your first order of $50 or more!  I’m so excited to introduce Wine Access to you. Wine Access is a web site that has exclusive wines that overdeliver for the price (of which they have a range).  They offer top quality wines by selecting diverse, interesting, quality bottles you may not have access to at local shops. Wine Access provides extensive tasting notes, stories about the wine and a really cool bottle hanger with pairings, flavor profile, and serving temps. Wines are warehoused in perfect conditions and shipped in temperature safe packs. Satisfaction is guaranteed!  Check it out today! www.wineaccess.com/normal    Thanks to YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople   And to sign up for classes (now for UK and Euro time zones!) please go to www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes! 

Stu Smith, co-founder of Smith-Madrone Winery, joins Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today. He will be on Zoom from his home on the vineyard in upper Napa Valley. The last time he was on California Wine Country was May 3, 2017, here is a link to that podcast episode. Before they begin talking to Stu Smith, Dan Berger has brought another “cellar dweller” to the show, an old bottle from Dan Berger's massive personal wine cellar, to open and taste. It's always a mystery when these bottles are opened. This cellar dweller is a 2009 Semillon, which Dan calls an unusual grape variety. It's usually picked very early. It would be good with seafood as long as it's not with a cream sauce. It has flavor that you won't get in any other grape variety. “I love this, it's fascinating and unique,” says Steve. Stu Smith (photo by Meg Smith) Stu Smith joins Steve and Dan on Zoom. He founded his winery with his brother at the age 22 in 1971. He first walked the property in the Fall of 1970. It was a different world. Wine had not yet become a “major issue” for Napa and Sonoma Counties. It was provincial and he was in the backroads. Dan mentions that it was only 5 years after Robert Mondavi first planted. They are located in St. Helena, at the junction of the road that leads over the ridge between Napa and Sonoma counties, at between 1300-2000 feet elevation. They suffered moderate damage in the Glass fire, and had to replace some equipment. Several trees have to be removed and it's a lot of work, but “we are fortunate that we didn't lose anything substantial.” There is ample documentation of their fire damage at the Smith-Madrone website. They do very little irrigation and they harvest their Chardonnay a little earlier than others, so its acidity is strong. “We're a little bit more European in style than Californian. We praise the concept of balance complexity elegance restraint finesse. We tend to think that wines should give pleasure, they should be hedonistic. (...) (We) believe that getting the vintage into the glass of wine is our job. We vintage date to celebrate the diversity of the vintage dates…” The high elevation, after hundreds of years of erosion, the soil is very lean, and the soil profile is completely different than the valley. There is very little water. Dan explains that it's tricky to grow grapes at this altitude. The soil is not particularly fertile so the yields are held down naturally. They rarely go over three tons to the acre. Some friends of Stu with Zinfandel acres in the central valley go 24 tons to the acre. Dan Berger points out that this is very reliant on how the wine reacts to its soil conditions. Stu mentions Virgil's treatise on farming and quotes the Latin, Bacchus amat colles, which means Bacchus loves the hills. He explains, the wines that come from hillside vineyards are more distinctive because the vines have to struggle and the berries are smaller, making a higher skin-to-juice ratio. Irrigation was not practiced until the mid-60s in California, when they irrigated to prevent frost. So farmers had water in the summer too, and irrigated. It made more production, but of common quality. They have held back their 2017 until now, compared to many 2019s that are in stores already. Stu tells his story of growing up in Southern California and attending Berkeley in the mid-60s. He liked wine already then and took an introductory wine class at UC Davis and he did not want to go back to LA after college. His second attempt to put a syndicated partnership together worked and the rest is history. (The Smith-Madrone website has a lot on this subject as well.) Stu Smith also taught enology for a long time at Santa Rosa Junior College, working with the great Rich Thomas. They also taste the Smith-Madrone Riesling, which Dan Berger says comes from "a very blessed piece of property." It is an astounding wine, Dan tastes slate, jasmine, and wild juniper.

Stu Smith, co-founder of Smith-Madrone Winery, joins Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today. He will be on Zoom from his home on the vineyard in upper Napa Valley. The last time he was on California Wine Country was May 3, 2017, here is a link to that podcast episode. Before they begin talking to Stu Smith, Dan Berger has brought another “cellar dweller” to the show, an old bottle from Dan Berger’s massive personal wine cellar, to open and taste. It’s always a mystery when these bottles are opened. This cellar dweller is a 2009 Semillon, which Dan calls an unusual grape variety. It’s usually picked very early. It would be good with seafood as long as it's not with a cream sauce. It has flavor that you won’t get in any other grape variety. “I love this, it’s fascinating and unique,” says Steve. Stu Smith joins Steve and Dan on Zoom. He founded his winery with his brother at the age 22 in 1971. He first walked the property in the Fall of 1970. It was a different world. Wine had not yet become a “major issue” for Napa and Sonoma Counties. It was provincial and he was in the backroads. Dan mentions that it was only 5 years after Robert Mondavi first planted. They are located in St. Helena, at the junction of the road that leads over the ridge between Napa and Sonoma counties, at between 1300-2000 feet elevation. They suffered moderate damage in the Glass fire, and had to replace some equipment. Several trees have to be removed and it’s a lot of work, but “we are fortunate that we didn’t lose anything substantial.” There is ample documentation of their fire damage at the Smith-Madrone website. They do very little irrigation and they harvest their Chardonnay a little earlier than others, so its acidity is strong. “We’re a little bit more European in style than Californian. We praise the concept of balance complexity elegance restraint finesse. We tend to think that wines should give pleasure, they should be hedonistic. (...) (We) believe that getting the vintage into the glass of wine is our job. We vintage date to celebrate the diversity of the vintage dates…” The high elevation, after hundreds of years of erosion, the soil is very lean, and the soil profile is completely different than the valley. There is very little water. Dan explains that it’s tricky to grow grapes at this altitude. The soil is not particularly fertile so the yields are held down naturally. They rarely go over three tons to the acre. Some friends of Stu with Zinfandel acres in the central valley go 24 tons to the acre. Dan Berger points out that this is very reliant on how the wine reacts to its soil conditions. Stu mentions Virgil's treatise on farming and quotes the Latin, Bacchus amat colles, which means Bacchus loves the hills. He explains, the wines that come from hillside vineyards are more distinctive because the vines have to struggle and the berries are smaller, making a higher skin-to-juice ratio. Irrigation was not practiced until the mid-60s in California, when they irrigated to prevent frost. So farmers had water in the summer too, and irrigated. It made more production, but of common quality. They have held back their 2017 until now, compared to many 2019s that are in stores already. Stu tells his story of growing up in Southern California and attending Berkeley in the mid-60s. He liked wine already then and took an introductory wine class at UC Davis and he did not want to go back to LA after college. His second attempt to put a syndicated partnership together worked and the rest is history. (The Smith-Madrone website has a lot on this subject as well.) Stu Smith also taught enology for a long time at Santa Rosa Junior College, working with the great Rich Thomas. They also taste the Smith-Madrone Riesling, which Dan Berger says comes from "a very blessed piece of property." It is an astounding wine, Dan tastes slate, jasmine, and wild juniper. It carries the flavor of the soil because the acid is so good.

A fellow entrepreneur with big love for Napa terroir, Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone joins us!Purchase 1881 wines at 20% off (30% off for members): https://my.boissetcollection.com/virtual-tastings#buynowPurchase Smith-Madrone wines here: https://oakvillegrocery.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=+madrone

"The beauty of wine is that you can play in dirt as a farmer, you get to process the grapes and make the wine and bottle it, and then have it on the dining room table with your friends and family and therein lies the conversation that comes out of the dinner table that makes the world a better place for you and the harshness of the reality of the day gets washed away." Stu Smith Listen and enjoy hearing Stu's stories of the old days and insight into how we've come from then to now. With Stu you get to see the real guy without a facade and it's one you're sure to enjoy. https://smithmadrone.com/ (https://smithmadrone.com/) https://www.instagram.com/smith_madrone/ (https://www.instagram.com/smith_madrone/) https://www.facebook.com/smithmadrone/ (https://www.facebook.com/smithmadrone/)

Smith-Madrone is one of Napa Valley’s authentically artisanal wineries, founded in 1971 by Stuart Smith. Winemaking and grape-growing are handled entirely by the two brother-proprietors, Stuart and Charles Smith, iconoclasts known for their staunch adherence to dry farming on their mountain vineyard. Stu’s son Sam Smith is the winery’s Assistant Winemaker. All of Smith-Madrone’s wines come from the 38 acres of estate vineyards surrounding the winery, planted 48 years ago by Stuart and Charles. The vineyards extend across steep mountainsides, at elevations between 1,300 and 1,900 feet, on slopes angling up to 34% at the top of the Spring Mountain District appellation in the Napa Valley. Total production each year is less than 4,000 cases.

Stuart Smith founded Smith-Madrone in 1971 on Spring Mountain. Since then  he and his brother have been making some fantastic wines from their self built winery.  If you want to see winemaking that isn't veiled by the branded, retail friendly experience you get at many places along highway 29, head up Spring Mountain and pay a visit to Smith-Madrone. Stu may likely be your host in the barn-like winery/tasting room. You'll find him a gigantic character never short on opinions. More importantly you'll taste some spectacular and insightfully made wines.

This week on episode 205 of the We Like Drinking podcast we’ll be discussing Podcast Reviews, Our Newest Patreon, and We’re ALL FIRED UP, ‘cause Stu Smith from Smith-Madrone Winery is in the house! So crack open your beer, uncork that wine, and let’s get drinking. If you like what you are hearing in this episode, consider helping us out by becoming a patron of the show. Visit WeLikeDrinking.com/pledge to get in on the action. Panel Intros And What We’re Drinking With Stu Smith In May of 1971, at 22 years young, our guest tonight, along with his brother Charles founded the Smith-Madrone winery high up in the Spring Mountain District of Napa Valley. Named after the brothers Smith, and the Madrone trees that inhabit the property, Smith Madrone is currently producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Cook’s Flat Reserve, and Riesling. He has served on Napa County’s Watershed Task Force and the Napa County General Plan Steering Committee, and so much more that all revolves around being outdoors in nature, he is Stu Smith! John is drinking - Stone Woot Stout Stu is drinking - 2016 Smith-Madrone Chardonnay Solomon is drinking - Smith-Madrone 2015 Riesling, 2015 Chardonnay, and 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Eckles is drinking - 2015 Smith-Madrone Chardonnay Grape, Hop, or Pop Culture Reference Mammolo New Patreon Say hello to our new $5 patron, Kristen L! Kristen is a member of the Tavern, interacts with us on social media, and has now become a member of our elite class of supporters as a patron. Thank you Kristen. I will be in touch to coordinate all your benefits including Jeff Solomon’s award winning guacamole recipe, John’s coconut porter homebrew recipe, your custom link to the podcast where you can get the after party episodes, and we’ll look forward to hearing your voice telling us what to drink each and every month. Apple Podcast Review Covers All The Bases - 5 stars, by Side Hustle Wino 4 Life 12345 - Entertaining conversation amongst friends - after a few episodes you feel like they are your friends too! Follow Smith-Madrone To find out more about Smith Madrone wines follow them on the socials at - Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

In May 1971, with a partnership of family and friends, Stuart Smith bought a vineyard on Spring Mountain, which today is Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery. He was 22 years old and had just received his B.A. in Economics from UC Berkeley and was taking classes towards his Master's in Viticulture at UC Davis. 48 years later, Smith-Madrone is going strong and Stu is full of ideas, opinions, and perspective! Here are the notes: Stu tells us how a 22 year old viticulture student took a trip to Napa and wound up buying what would become Smith-Madrone We discuss what Napa was like in the 1970s v. today We chat about what drew Stu to Spring Mountain and the effort it took to restore this pre-phylloxera vineyard area, atop Spring Mountain, to a modern vineyard and winery We discuss why Smith-Madrone grows what it does -- including Riesling Stu talks about why Smith-Madrone has stayed small And finally Stu shares his theories on why organic, biodynamic and conventional farming are all incredibly problematic types of agriculture Thanks to Smith-Madrone, whose wines I love and who joined us for Underground Wine Events, DC!    Thanks to our sponsors this week:  YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople    Last Bottle I love this service!! Last Bottle Wines finds great wines and offers them at a one time discount. Last Bottle Wines: Is a fun way to discover the best wines at the lowest prices Maintains relationships with producers in the most prestigious wine regions around the world and traveling to Europe several times each year to eat with, stay with, drink with, walk the vineyards with the people who make the wines. Offer a range of prices from low end to high end $9 to $99 and the wines range from the lesser known kinds like Albariño and Bläufrankish to Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay. Visit: http://lastbottlewines.com/normal and join to get a $10 instant credit to use toward your first order. Invite your wine drinking pals and they’ll get $10 instantly and you get $30 when they make their first buy.  

Join me as I take the drive to Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery perched high atop Spring Mountain. It provides a unique viewpoint of Napa Valley (in more ways than one). Stuart and Charlie Smith have been up there since the early 70s crafting wine the way they feel it should be made. Their style hasn't always been in favor but as tastes have changed they've become fashionable again. If you enjoy hearing opinions on the wine industry from those who have been around for forty-five years you'll appreciate this podcast. For more visit OnTheWineRoad.com.  Join my community at Patreon.com/OnTheWineRoad.

Founded in 1971, Smith-Madrone sits at 1900 feet up on Napa Valley's Spring Mountain. Stu Smith talks about the place, it's story, and the remarkable wines.

I recently did a review of the wines from Smith-Madrone, a small winery located on Spring Mountain  in the Napa Valley. If you read it you know I loved the Cabernet and thought the Riesling was good but I hated the Chardonnay. Well, the winery contacted me and said they thought the bottle I reviewed didn’t sound like their wine. They sent a new one and sure enough, it was true. So we did an audio review of the wine with NEW tasting notes that can be found on the blog. We hope to do these on a regular basis, just to give you a little geekery between podcasts!!! Enjoy! [...]