Episode 162: Sam Smiertka – Blue Dot

If Vines Could Talk · Sep 3, 2026 · 1h

Steve first shares a short collage of voices from a successful Michigan wine dinner at Wildfire in Chicago. Then in this episode, Steve talks with Sam Smiertka of Blue Dot Farm and Vineyard in Charlevoix. Sam studied graphic design and history at James Madison University, worked in a corporate role in Atlanta, and discovered a strong interest in wine after trying a bottle from Georgia. She returned to Maryland, spent four years at Crow Vineyard and Winery, and completed WSET level 3. An internship at Alexana Estate in Oregon shaped her next chapter. She later joined Blue Dot, owned by Paul…