St. Helena, Napa Valley and New York, NY, February 2012----Effective March 1, the estate-vineyard wines of Smith-Madrone Vineyards & Winery are joining the portfolio of VOS Selections, which will handle sales in the states of New York and New Jersey. “We are delighted to be represented by one of New York’s most respected fine wine distributors,” said Stu Smith, General Partner/Enologist, Smith-Madrone, in making the announcement. “These are wines from one of the greatest terroirs in California and even the world,” Victor Schwartz of VOS said.

VOS will launch with Smith-Madrone’s 2009 Chardonnay, 2010 Riesling, 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, all originating from the Spring Mountain District appellation of the NapaValley. Later this spring VOS will introduce Smith-Madrone’s first-ever Reserve, the 2007 Cook’s Flat Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. “These are wines with restraint, style and polish, which express their mountain personality with distinctive elegance,” Schwartz adds. “Wines of this style are what we seek but are so hard to find from California,” he added.

“Doing things the easy way has never been the Smith-Madrone way,” Stu Smith says. “Whether it’s digging boulders out of the mountain to make way for our vines or farming slopes up to 34%, our goals, our passion, our life is to grow the very best grapes, whatever the hardships. We know that only the best wine comes from the best grapes, and we were inspired when we began by the saying Bacchus amat colles, that Bacchus loves the hills,” he adds.

Smith-Madrone is one of NapaValley’s authentically artisanal wineries, founded in 1971 by Stuart Smith. Winemaking and grape-growing are handled entirely by the two brother-proprietors, Stuart and Charles Smith, iconoclasts known for their staunch adherence to dry farming on their mountain vineyard. All of Smith-Madrone’s wines derive from the 38 acres of estate vineyards surrounding the winery, planted 40 years ago by Stuart and Charles. The vineyards extend across steep mountainsides, at elevations between 1,300 and 1,900 feet, on slopes angling up to 34%. Total production each year is less than 4,000 cases. Smith-Madrone celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2011, participating in a number of unusual events, from a benefit for Alice Waters’ Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley to anniversary dinners at Taj Campton Place in San Francisco and The Ritz-Carlton in North Carolina. More at www.smithmadrone.com.

VOS Selections was founded 25 years ago in New York by Victor Schwartz. “There is true pleasure in finding a high-quality, hand-crafted product in today's mass-produced world,” explains Schwartz. “We specialize in importing and distributing the finest wines, spirits and sakes to the top echelon of restaurants and wine shops. At V.O.S. we value quality over quantity so we have created a portfolio of highly-selected, artisanal wines and spirits. In the most demanding market in the world, V.O.S. prides itself on providing both top quality products and a very high level of service. Year-in, year-out the top tier of restaurants and fine wine shops in New York and New Jersey rely on V.O.S. Selections to provide the products that make their cellars the best-stocked in the world,” he adds. VOS Selections represents 500 wines, made by 200 winemakers in 17 countries. VOS has 16 employees and is based in Manhattan. More at www.vosselections.com.