About Clark Smith

I coach small wineries. I explore winemaking techniques and styles new and old. I sip, I write, I sing.

I believe that transparency and openness are essential to the growth and development of any winemaker. I wrote Postmodern Winemaking to share with other winemakers some practical views on making great wine while also providing curious non-practicing wine enthusiasts with a window on our world. It was named Wine and Spirits Magazine’s 2013 Book of the Year.

Today there are over 10,000 bonded wineries in North America. That’s up from 250 when I entered the wine world in 1972. I have taught Fundamentals of Modern Wine Chemistry to over 4,000 winemakers since 1984. I advise start-ups on crystallizing their vision, deciding what to plant, inventing product concepts, winemaking protocols, developing packaging, websites, winery floor plan design, equipment selection, lab set-up, administrative and sales software, and assisting in hiring and training staff.

A product of M.I.T. and U. C. Davis, I have dedicated four decades as winemaker, author, inventor, musician, and professor, founded and managed four prominent wineries, consulted for thousands of wineries, other craft beverage producers and suppliers throughout the world. I patented VA removal and alcohol adjustment via reverse osmosis and have developed expertise in a host of innovative techniques. I launched the WineSmith brand in 1993, specializing in Eurocentric forgeries and oddities.

The IQ Conference named me 2016 Innovator of the Year. In 2018, I was included among the Wine Industry’s 48 Most Influential People by Wine Business Monthly.