Wine Portfolio

Rudy  Zuidema

Winemaker, Smith Devereux

Rudy was born in Sacramento CA and grew up in the small agricultural community of Davis. He attended the University of California at Davis, studying Plant Science and Agriculture Management focusing on Viticulture. He graduated in 1991 and quickly headed for the Napa Valley wine country to find opportunities in vineyard management and winemaking. He first worked in restaurants where he could gain knowledge of food and wine pairing, and where he happily was able to taste thousands of wines from Napa Valley and other regions around the world.

His first wine cellar experience was at St. Clement Vineyards, working with local winemaker Dennis Johns. From there he climbed the industry ladder with positions in turn as assistant winemaker, head winemaker, vineyard manager and general manager at Cuvaison, Honig, Robert Craig, Ehlers Estate and White Cottage Ranch. He studied organic and biodynamic farming, receiving CCOF and Demeter certifications on several ranches. He is focused on sustainability and prides himself on his stewardship of the vineyard sites.

Rudy has been working with Smith Devereux since the beginning and took over as head winemaker and vineyard manager in 2023.

Country born: USA

Years in the wine industry: years