The intent was (and still is) to create wines to be enjoyed now, but with true typicity of both the varietal and the vineyard. The brand was themed as “The Modernist Project,” which focuses on the way people generally consume wine today: immediately. That same year, Charles started a second brand, Charles Smith Wines. Low and behold, the label concept had never been created or trademarked, so Charles launched the legendary brand before selling it to Precept Brands in 2006. The Walla Walla Valley was now his home.Īfter a devastating freeze in 2004, Charles brought to life a label he had once in a dream: House Wine. In 2001, Charles released 330 cases of his first wine, the 1999 K Syrah. The two men discovered their common passion for great Syrah and Charles was eventually convinced to move to Walla Walla and make his own juice.
On a road trip in late 1999, he passed through the small town of Walla Walla and met a young Frenchman and winemaker. In 1999, he moved back to the United States, specifically to the Pacific Northwest, opening a wine shop on Bainbridge Island, just across the Puget Sound from downtown Seattle. Wining and dining while on the road became a catalyst for his passion of wine, which ultimately triggered the career he has today. As soon as he had the chance, Charles decided to move to Scandinavia in the late 1980s and spent the next nine years managing rock bands and concert tours throughout Europe, including the famed Danish duo, The Ravonettes. Growing up just outside of Sacramento, California, Charles Smith began craving worldly travel at a young age due to his Welsh mother and French father.