In 2015, Charles opened Charles Smith Wines Jet City in Seattle Washington, the largest urban winery on the West Coast.Įach of these accomplishments reinforce the same theme: Charles Smith creates wine for the people. In 2006, Charles created the cult-favorite, Royal City Syrah, and that inaugural vintage made Charles Smith one of only four Washington winemakers to earn a 100-point score. He earned recognition as Wine & Spirits Magazine Winery of the Year (2008), Food & Wine Winemaker of the Year (2009), Wine Enthusiast Winemaker of the Year (2014), and placed #2 and #13 on the Wine Spectator Top 100 List (2017). Charles developed (and later sold) iconic brands like House Wine and Charles Smith Wines, the home of smash-hit wines like Kung Fu Girl Riesling, Boom Boom Syrah, and the Velvet Devil Merlot. In the two decades since, Charles Smith has left an undeniable impact on the wine industry. With almost nothing in his pockets, Charles Smith found a way to produce his first vintage…the aforementioned 330 cases of 1999 K Syrah. He found a way to explore his burgeoning interest in wine by opening a wine shop on Bainbridge Island, but Charles felt compelled to create the wines, not just to sell them.Ī chance road trip to Walla Walla, Washington, in 1999 gave Charles that opportunity. Charles spent a decade touring Europe as a rock band manager in Denmark before returning to the United States to immerse himself in the emerging music scene in Seattle, Washington. Before he could fully explore the path to becoming “The Wine Guy”, another passion called Charles: music. The menu rarely offers much insight on the producer or varietal to. One restaurant job appealed to Charles most: the one where the guy came in late, left early, and drank all night. Classically, house wine is an inexpensive offering at a restaurant served by the glass, carafe, or sometimes even by the bottle.
He became intrigued with wine while working in restaurants at the age of 19. Today, House of Smith is the largest independent and winemaker-owned winery in Washington State with wines sold in all 50 states and 23 countries worldwide.Īnd it all started a little over 20 years ago, with 330 cases of 1999 K Syrah sold out of the back of Charles’ 1987 Astro van.Ĭharles Smith’s unlikely rise to “rockstar winemaker” status is the stuff indie cult-classic films are made of. Charles has received over 200 scores of 95 points and above and nearly 1,200 scores of 90 points and above from leading wine publications. Charles Smith is the visionary winemaker behind iconic brands like K Vintners and Substance.
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