Ryan Smith, Winemaker

Ryan Smith is the proprietor of Ancora Vino, an independent wine shop and tasting room with locations in Los Gatos, Morgan Hill and San Jose, California. His "a-ha" moment came with a bottle of 1985 Salon Champagne while working in the kitchen at Enoteca La Storia shortly after its founding. In 2012, Ryan passed the Certified Sommelier (Level 2) exam on his first attempt. From 2015 to 2020, Ryan served as the Direct to Consumer Manager at Los Gatos's Testarossa Winery. A wine geek first and foremost, Ryan's goal is to "demystify the confusion around the world's favorite beverage," aiming to make wines of all kinds accessible to everyone.