What does a winery do for its 40th anniversary?
EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY
We hope you will join us for the festivities!
Just In:
Smith-Madrone
had the honor of participating in an historic event with Chez Panisse
for its 40th anniversary. The National Portrait Gallery unveiled a
portrait of Alice Waters which now is headed east to be housed at The
Smithsonian in Washington. To celebrate, there was a benefit evening
at The Berkeley Art Museum on Friday, August 26. The proceeds benefited
Alice Waters' foundation, The Edible Schoolyard. Artist Ann Hamilton
and the OPENrestaurant art and food collective presented an amazing
edible installation.
Read about the event here.
As the winery partner, we poured Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay throughout the evening!
Upcoming:
So far:
July 11: Smith-Madrone was the wine partner for ODC Theater's 40th anniversary celebration, which also celebrated Artistic Director Rob Bailis' 40th birthday For a glimpse [youTube link].
Stu Smith, the founder and General Partner, was asked to comment about the winery's 40th birthday and its linkage to ODC---which Smith did in an analogy to the word 'artisan:' 'In the beginning we'd tell people we were an artisanal winery up on a mountain in the Napa Valley,' Smith said, 'and they'd have to go look it up! Today people know that 'artisanal' stands for quality, a personal touch and small-scale artistic endeavors---all of which we share with ODC.'
June 14: Smith-Madrone began its 40th anniversary celebrations with an elaborate tasting including several verticals at Taj Campton Place in San Francisco. For a glimpse [link to blog entry about event].
Chef Srijith Gopinathan chose two raw cow's milk cheeses, Mahon Reserve from Minorca, Spain and Pleasant Ridge Reserve from Wisconsin to accompany the Cabernet Sauvignons.
June 21: Smith-Madrone presented its wines at The Biltmore Forest Country Club at The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.
June 22: Smith-Madrone teamed up with The Ritz-Carlton in Charlotte, North Carolina, for an elaborate dinner and tasting; Chef Jon Farace's trio of salmon recipe is coming!
Forty-year Olds
It was in the fall of 1970 that I first walked the dense forested property that would become Smith-Madrone. All that remained of the original vineyard planted in the 1880s were small redwood grape stakes and a towering row of olive trees competing for sunlight with the 90 foot tall Douglas fir trees. The wine industry has seen many changes in the 40 years since we carved Smith-Madrone out of the forested mountain top. Napa Valley wine has evolved from a small provincial business, second in economic importance behind livestock, to an industry of worldwide pre-eminence. While there have been many technological advances in both viticulture and enology, the fundamental of great wine remain the same: climate, soil, site and a sound understanding of science. -Stu Smith
1971 was the year which also saw the founding of Starbucks, AmTrak, Hard Rock Café, the radio program All Things Considered and National Public Radio and in the San Francisco Bay Area---Chez Panisse, ODC Dance, Bay Area Reporter, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, The Sutro Tower, Blue Bear Music School and NatureBridge. Topping the charts that year were John Denver's Take Me Home Country Road, Tony Orlando & Dawn's Knock Three Times, Fifth Dimension's One Less Bell To Answer, Isaac Hayes' Shaft, Joan Baez's The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, John Lennon's Imagine, Aretha Franklin's Rock Steady and Don McLean's American Pie.
