How an award-winning SLO County winemaker is giving back to community — one bottle at a time

Tucked into an alleyway in the heart of Paso Robles is Indigené Cellars — a small business that’s making a big impact with its nationally recognized wines and philanthropic mission.

Indigené founder Raymond Smith moved to San Luis Obispo County in the 1980s in search of a journalism career — but he soon found himself swept into the world of viticulture after landing a summer job in wine production.

After two decades of working in bottling and production, he emerged from behind the scenes in 2008 to open Indigené Cellars, the first Black-owned winery in the area.

Indigené has since won multiple accolades from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the biggest wine competition in North America.

But according to Smith, the best part of the business isn’t the trophies or awards — it’s the connections he gets to make with the people around him.

“I’m always super excited to go to work and always super excited by the challenges of making wine, but it also instills me deep into the community,” Smith told The Tribune. “My life is full because of that.”

Winery gives back to at-risk youth

Smith worked that first job for two years before transitioning to operate a mobile bottling truck. There, he bottled for hundreds of wineries across California, learned about all different types of wine along the way.

As he says, he was one of the few who “entered the wine business from the back door.”

That hands-on experience is what differentiates Smith from many other winemakers.

“Where some people have a focus on certain wines — and I am more proficient at certain wines — it just seems like I have the most schizophrenic approach (to) wine making,” he said. “I’m just a microcosm of everybody that I bottled for and learned from in the last 25 years.”

When asked about his most popular wines, Smith pointed out a few bottles that draw in sales — not necessarily because of their accolades or exclusivity, but because of their meaning.

These wines include Indigené’s “Philanthropist” and “Old Skool Cafe” bottles.

The “Old Skool Cafe” series was created in connection with the San Francisco-based jazz supper club of the same name, which provides jobs and life skills training to at-risk, formerly incarcerated and foster care youth.

As someone who grew up in the Bay, the restaurant’s mission is close to Smith’s heart. And he works hard to set an example for the kids at that restaurant.

“They look at me as what they actually could be,” Smith said “I didn’t come from a restaurant background. I didn’t come from a wine background. I just came out here and, with hard work and determination, I made this happen.”

Smith’s mission to give back applies locally too — he’s donated proceeds from his “Philanthropist” line to Paso Robles schools, emergency services and other local causes.

During the pandemic, Smith and a friend began growing concerned about the loss of tax revenue for city operations, so Smith began donating a portion of the proceeds to support the Paso Robles Fire Department and Paso Robles Police Department, he said.

Now, a portion of the proceeds goes to support Paso Robles schools — and that’s in addition to the proceeds Smith pays out to the Old Skool Cafe.

When asked why he focuses so much of his energy on philanthropy, Smith said he’s just following in the footsteps of the great winemakers who came before him.

“Most of the wine guys, the successful ones, always did. They always did,” he said. “I’m sure there was somebody who gave something back that I benefited from. It’s not that hard, and it keeps you in touch with the community.”

Indigené earns repeat wine awards

Philanthropy aside, Smith has also been making waves in the industry thanks to his award-winning wines.

In 2024, Indigené earned series of accolades from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, including two double golds, two golds and one silver. These are in addition to similar awards the winery previously won at the same competition.

The San Francisco Chronicle competition is widely considered the most prestigious in North America, with winemakers from across Canada, Mexico and the United States joining in to compete, according to its website.

There, judges consider a wine’s color, quality, flavor profiles, mouth feel and other characteristics to determine if it is true to its label and varietal, Smith told The Tribune.

Indigené wines have also received high ratings from major wine magazines, he added.

Winning awards based on those indicators, Smith said, aligns with the intention behind the name of his business, which is rooted from the word indigenous.

He wants his wines to reflect the tastes of grapes that were grown in their pure, native environments.

Year after year, he wants to prove that his wines are living up to that goal.

“I want to be one of the best guys out here,” he said. “If you enter the competitions, you know where you stand in the business of wine making and so does the community.”