Warehouse Winery History

Winemaker Billy Smith

Winemaker Billy Smith began what would become an award-winning winery with a vision for creating unique and memorable experiences for each of his guests. Today, Warehouse Winery is in a space all its own– offering wine crafted in a Georgian tradition—served in a funky artistic venue, in the heart of the city.

Suffice it to say that Billy poured his heart and soul into this business — driven by his vision and passion for creating delightful and intriguing experiences. From rare wines, to an exceptional venue, Billy envisioned offering the unique and different for those seeking something other than ordinary.

Billy began this venture at his own home, where he planted over 400 cold climate Marquette grape vines, developed by the University of Minnesota. From there, his journey was supported by family and friends as he learned how to crush and ferment locally-grown and cold climate grapes.

With time, our wines have become noteworthy, earning awards and a loyal following of those who appreciate the unexpected.

Wines Influenced by Georgia:

Georgia, the birthplace of wine, is a country with a beautiful and long lasting winemaking heritage. Wine is linked to nearly every aspect of Georgian history and culture.

Traditional winemaking in Georgia has always been a home endeavor, infused with history, religion and mythology, and references dating to the fourth century.

In most wine countries, wine is made in stainless steel tanks or oak barrels, by fermenting grape juice after it has been separated from the grape skins. But Georgia, since ancient times, developed its own and unique method in which wine is skin-fermented without yeast and chemicals and this process takes place in qvevri, a clay pot shaped like an egg. While we are unable to employ antique qvevris, we do borrow from Georgian traditions while crafting decisively unique notes and flavors.