Whether planning wine club events, working with regional buyers, or teaching wine business to students, Kevin Smith works to know and satisfy their needs.

Smith earned his masters degrees in linguistics and business at Fresno State. After he received his MBA, he worked in Paso Robles helping wineries with business and marketing programs. He returned to Fresno State to teach and in 2013 became the manager of business and marketing operations for the campus winery.

Smith said marketing wine differs from marketing other products due to the change in small winery vintages, which are seasonally-made wines produced from a single grape season.

The Fresno State Winery has two different customers with unique needs, Smith said. The first are wine club members who value wine parties and get-togethers that allow them to socialize and learn about the vintages. The second are stores like Trader Joes and the Gibson Farm Market that sell the wine and want discounts on cases, signage and marketing materials and a consistent stock of wine to avoid empty shelves.

“Of course, my most important customers are my students and the value they get out my courses,” Smith said. “Without them, this whole program is an empty shell.”

Smith has two daughters and a son. His daughter, Hailey, is in her last year at Fresno State and his daughter, Kate, will be starting at Fresno State next fall.

Smith loves gardening, fly fishing, camping and backpacking. He hiked a portion of the John Muir Trail a few years back and can’t wait to get back out there.

Campus News asked Smith a few questions about his work and the winery.

What qualities led Fresno State Winery to its success?
We were the first University in the nation to do this, and we’ve proven that students can make award-winning wines with Central Valley fruit. It’s remarkable what we do over here. It almost doesn’t matter where our fruit comes from, our winemaker can guide these students through the science and steps to make it into great wine.

What sparked your interest in wine?
I love the connection the wine brings between farming and nature on the one hand, and the sophistication and culture of the customers on the other. It’s also connected to history as one of the oldest food products we have record of.

What variety of wines does the winery specialize in?
Our consistent top wines are the Spanish and Portuguese varietals like Tempranillo, Barbera, Alicante Bouchet, Touriga and Albarino. These are warm-weather grapes and they show well on a consistent basis. That said, we’ve brought in some terrific fruit from the northern part of the state, so our Napa Zinfandel, Russian River Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are quite good. We make so many varieties that I know I’ve left someone’s favorite off this list.

What goes into making an excellent vintage?
Good question for one of our enology students. But I believe it’s a combination of leaving the fruit alone as much as possible, while checking the chemistry on a consistent basis. While it looks like our students "science" the heck out of the wine, for the most part, they only give it what it needs. The other key ingredient is a commitment to sanitation in the winery. That gives each wine the fighting chance it needs to speak for itself.

If you had to recommend a Fresno State wine for the holiday season, which one would that be?
For a beautiful red, the Alicante Bouchet will complement any meal. Our Grenache Rose for a delicately complex afternoon. And the white Albarino is a surprise varietal that will make you look super smart to your guests.

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