Ep 8: Upending Napa Valley: SB Blend, CA Red Blend, and Ibex Merlot with Ian White of Smith Devereux Wines

Ian White is a co-founder, partner, and vintner at Smith Devereux Wines. Ian is also the wine director for SF Magazine. The Smith Devereux story began with music and wine. A travel and wine writer, a farmer with some of Napa Valley’s best grapes, and a music industry insider with a love for wine and need for change; we were an unlikely trio. But a nearly impossible opportunity at just the right time brought the two together, and together they have stayed.  Weeks after meeting they took on the deal that would lead them into a life-long friendship, the founding of a winery, and a plan to conquer the wine world.

In this episode, Ian tells us about how his love for music brought him to the world of wine, and how he transitioned from telling stories about other people for almost 12 years and decided that it’s time that he shared about his. Make sure to stay tuned until the end to know about his top pics and food pairings! 

[00:00 - 09:18] Opening Segment 

• I introduce our guest for this episode
• Ian shares about his wine experience
• • Crossover between music and wine
  • Hosting people in a vineyard
  • Quality of the wine depends on how you let the vineyard speak 

[09:19 - 18:43] Building a Career Around Wine 

• Started with writing about wine 
• • Telling other people’s stories 
  • Decided to start telling his own story 
• How Smith Devereux came about 
• • Making wines that are accessible and inclusive 
• Join my wine club and connect with other wine lovers! 
• • See link below

[18:44 - 40:52] Let’s Talk Wine with Ian 

• Wines from Smith Devereux 
• • SB White Blend Italian brands on Russ’s portfolio
  • Number 3 Red Blend 
  • Single Vineyard Merlot 
• Choosing the right glass for the wines 
• Producing wines in a sustainable way
• Wine pairs 
• • Depends on the occasion and environment
  • Best wine depends on the vibe 
  • Knowing the sauces available 
• Favorite go-to wine 
• Go-to pairing 

[40:52 - 40:52] Closing Segment

• Connect with Ian
• • See links below 
• Final words

Tweetable Quotes:

“At the end of the day, we're making these wines for people to enjoy. And if we don't pay attention to the people, then what are we doing?”- Ian White 

Connect with Russ through Instagram and Facebook, Linked, or Twitter. You can also checkout their website at www.smithdevereux.com or send him an email at [email protected].

Join their email list for free Quick Reference Guide to good value wines of the Old World here! 

You can also participate in their charity drive! They are donating $5/case for all our wholesale revenue in MD and DC for the month of September to Learning to Live Movement, a non-profit based in Baltimore that offers the opportunity for travel to inner city kids. Learn more about the charity at http://www.learningtolivemovement.com.

Let’s continue the Everyday Wine Conversations and connect with me through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected]. You can also check out my website at ​www.​klevywineco.com.

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