Le Artishasic’s Artie Johnson Offers Rotarians a Taste of the Wine Industry
President Chuck Redden and Past President Philippe Lathrop with Ed Aldag.
The Rotary Club of Birmingham recently welcomed Artie Johnson, Founder of Le Artishasic Winery and WINEXYZ Consulting. He provided an overview of the wine industry, explaining how his upbringing studying music and playing sports imparted a competitive spirit that has served him well in the wine business.
Johnson discussed his experience working in restaurants in Austin, New York and Miami before moving to Napa to work in wineries before launching his own brand. He discussed the differences between his production, which involves buying grapes from growers all over California and Oregon, versus his wife’s family’s vertically integrated wine production exclusively utilizing grapes grown in their established Napa Valley vineyard.
Johnson shared the process of creating wine and all of the components that come together to produce a great product, from the soil to the grapes to the farmworkers to the aging to the bottling and packaging. He talked through the triumphs and challenges, including climate change and California wildfires.
Johnson presented a special wine tasting with three selections from his Le Artishasic label and impressed upon the attendees the importance of sampling a wide variety of wines.
“I love tasting,” Johnson said. “Taste everything you can. I taste grocery store wine. I taste $50 bottles, $100 bottles, $1,000 bottles. Anything that people can put in front of me, I want to taste it because I want that experience and I want that access.”
About Artie Johnson
Artie Johnson, a fifth generation Texan, attended the prestigious Kinkaid School in Houston prior to enrolling at the University of Texas McCombs School of Business. He also played centerfield for the Longhorn baseball team under the direction of two of the winningest coaches in college baseball history, Cliff Gustafson and Augie Garrido.
Post college, Johnson’s food and wine journey began in the restaurant industry in Austin’s ever-growing Fourth Street Warehouse district. Soon after, he made his way to New York City to work at Nobu in Tribeca for the accomplished Myriad Restaurant Group. Manhattan prepared Johnson to achieve his first Wine & Beverage Director position at Casa Casuarina (The Versace Mansion) in Miami Beach. During his seven years in Miami, he contributed to South Beach staples such as Casa Tua and Prime 112 before moving to the West Coast.
Johnson’s Napa career began in 2013, at the cult winery, Harlan Estate, working in client services and acquisitions. In 2014 he was recruited to join historic Mayacamas Vineyards as Director of Hospitality. In 2015, Johnson founded Le Artishasic winery, as proprietor and winemaker, under his parent company WINEXYZ. WINEXYZ is the consulting firm Johnson began to help small family-owned wineries excel in direct-to-consumer strategies.
Johnson currently lives in the Napa Valley with his wife Shannon Staglin (Staglin Family Vineyard), their 6-year-old daughter Sicily, and 5-year-old son, Artie Johnson III.