Eric Story and Alison Smith met working the floor at K&L Wine Merchants in Northern California. A friendship grew over bottles from far-away places and trips to the Anderson Valley, and in May 2013 they eloped on the Big Island of Hawaii, where the name Smith Story Wine Cellars was conceived. The winery was established May 14, 2013.
In 2014 they launched "Farmers First" on Kickstarter and became the first American winery to be crowdfunded. Eric apprenticed at harvest in Germany and bought German, Loire, Alsatian, Austrian and Greek wine for K&L; Ali came from hospitality, national sales and her own company, TexaCali Wine Co. Between them they bring more than fifty years in the trade.
The wines are small-lot and site-specific: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and a growing list of whites from organically and biodynamically farmed family vineyards. In late 2021 they moved the tasting room from Philo in the Anderson Valley to Healdsburg on Westside Road, where the Studio and Wine Garden is open to guests, usually with Sir Royal Soup on greeting duty. The wine club is called The Storytellers.
Wines
A tasting room Smith Story Wine Cellars can open from the cellar.
Vesper is live video and a checkout in the same window. Independent wineries broadcast from where the wine is actually made, talk through what is in the glass, and sell it direct without you leaving the stream. Most bottles worth knowing about never reach a shelf near you. This is how you meet them, and the people who made them, anyway.
- 1Follow, and get the call
Following Smith Story Wine Cellars means a notification the moment they switch the camera on. Tastings are announced here, not buried in an email list.
- 2Watch and ask
The winemaker pours what is in front of them and talks through it. Chat is open, so the thing you actually wanted to know gets answered on camera.
- 3Buy direct, mid-pour
The wines being poured are purchasable on the spot. Smith Story Wine Cellars is the seller of record and ships the order themselves. Vesper only earns a commission when a bottle sells.
Frequently asked
What is Vesper?
Vesper is a live tasting room for independent wineries. Wineries broadcast live video from the cellar or the vineyard, talk through what they are pouring, take questions in chat, and sell those wines direct in the same window. Smith Story Wine Cellars is the seller of record and ships orders itself. Vesper takes a commission only when a bottle sells.
Where is Smith Story Wine Cellars located?
Smith Story Wine Cellars is based in Healdsburg, CA.
What wines does Smith Story Wine Cellars make?
Smith Story Wine Cellars produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Chardonnay, Bordeaux Blend, Grenache Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Grenache, with vintages spanning 2022–2025.
Can I buy Smith Story Wine Cellars wine online?
Yes. You can buy Smith Story Wine Cellars's wines directly on Vesper, ranging from $40.00 to $96.00. The winery ships your order directly.
Does Smith Story Wine Cellars host live tastings?
Smith Story Wine Cellars can host live tastings on Vesper where you watch the winemaker pour and buy featured wines as they're presented.
Do I need a ticket or a reservation to join a tasting?
No. Live tastings on Vesper are free to watch and open to anyone. Follow Smith Story Wine Cellars and you are notified when they go on camera. You only pay if you decide to buy a wine.
Who ships my order, and who am I buying from?
Smith Story Wine Cellars. On Vesper the winery is the merchant of record: it sets the price, takes the order, and ships the wine directly to you. Vesper handles the video, the checkout, and the payment, and earns a commission on the sale.
Be in the room when Smith Story Wine Cellars pours
Following puts you on the list for their next live tasting. Watch from wherever you are, ask the winemaker anything while the bottle is open, and buy direct from the winery in the same window.