Brent Smith
Assistant Vineyard Manager
Brent grew up in Paso Robles, California surrounded by rolling hills and beautiful vineyards. While living in Santa Cruz, he started making cider and wine in his garage, beginning with 5 gallons of fresh-pressed apple juice. A couple years later, he moved back to Paso and took an internship with John Munch at Le Cuvier Winery. After a few years of harvest positions around Paso and one at Two Hands in the Barossa Valley of Australia, Brent landed at Brecon Estate as their Assistant Winemaker for 2 years. With a growing interest in farming and lighter bodied wines, he decided to make the move up to Oregon to produce the wines that he loved to drink. After stints at Ponzi and Beaux Freres, Brent found Johan Vineyards and was excited about the farming style and the wines being made. While he still occasionally moonlights in the cellar, most of his days are spent working in the vineyard and wrenching on equipment.Brent still makes cider and wine in his garage, mostly for himself and his thirsty friends. In the future, he hopes to have his own farm with grapes, apples, and a garden. When Brent’s not at Johan, he enjoys rock climbing and hanging with his border collie, Papa.
