About this site

My first effort at making my own wine was in the late 1960’s (I was a teenager about 17 years old) in Florida trying to make orange wine.  Not knowing anything about, it was less than successful (miserable failure is a good description).  

Fast forward 40+ years, and here I go again, but this time I spent more time and effort learning what to do.  And I am now making some wines that wine awards.  

About Smart Dog Winery

I am a professional engineer with a background in mining and project management.  I currently reside with my wife and our smart dog in Northern California, midway between the Napa Valley and the Livermore Valley wineries.

Since coming to California over 40 years ago I have come to like and appreciate wines.

I am now starting (again, but this time the RIGHT way) to learn the art and craft of wine making.  And this website is about that experience.

This site is to pass on what I am doing, and how you can do it too! Where possible I will place worthwhile references.

Our Smart Dog

Our logo is based on a Border Collie.  When I started it was with Prince a rough coat McNab Border Collie and a very smart dog and was very good a finding his treasures.  Our current smart dog is Red, a reddish brown Border Collie, also very good at finding treasurers.

 

Or my excursion into winemaking

My first effort at making my own wine was in the late 1960’s (I was a teenager about 17 years old) in Florida trying to make orange wine.  Not knowing anything about, it was less than successful (miserable failure is a good description).   Fast forward 40 years, and here I go again, but this time I spent more time and effort learning what to do.  Where possible I will place worthwhile references under the links heading.

o    E-mail: info@smartdogwinery.com