For start, don't think yourself intellectually superior to it, instead, think of it as a challenge. I had to force myself to get really good at it because of professional/educational situations I was in, but it's proved to be a valuable tool in social situations as well. Knowing how to connect with people and draw them out is a valuable skill...

As for how to develop it? Practice. Practice on the girl who makes your latte. Practice on the security guard in your building. Practice on your distant relatives that you don't see very often.

Force yourself into situations where you're gonna have to do it. For me, moving to a city where I knew almost no one forced me to do that - if I wanted to make friends, I HAD to go to parties/gatherings where I didn't know anyone. Some times I wouldn't connect with anyone and the whole night would feel forced and painful, other times, I'd meet someone who would turn out to be a great friend. Play the odds.

No one says small talk can't be intelligent. It can be very intelligent, but you have to start light and drill down. Look the other person in the eye, read their body language. If you think they're interested, dig deeper. If they're not, change topics, or make a joke about it or be self-deprecating, like "Oh, I'm sorry, I tend to really geek out about that - I'm sure you're bored." That'll break the ice.

Also, most people LOVE to talk about themselves, so the best way to get a conversation going is to ask a lot of questions, listen, and be (or at least act) interested in the answer.