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April 4, 1999, Sunday Copyright 2001 The New York Times Company

IN MY... BRIEFCASE: STUART A. SMITH By ALAN KRAUSS

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MAYBE it's predictable that Stuart A. Smith carries a corkscrew in his battered brown leather briefcase: He founded the Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery in California's Napa County 28 years ago and now runs it with his brother, Charles F. Smith 3d.

What is surprising is that he rarely uses that corkscrew. Mr. Smith said he prefers an Ah-So, a two-bladed German-made device that pulls corks without piercing them. ''I like those best, but I'm always losing them or breaking them,'' he said. He's so often caught short of the proper equipment, he said, that ''actually, I open 95 percent of my wines with my Swiss Army knife.''

Also in keeping with a winemaker's image is Mr. Smith's cigar case, a black leather model that holds whatever brand he's smoking that day. He said he is not too picky about cigars, now that their trendiness has made them so expensive. ''I smoke whichever kind I can afford,'' he said. On a recent visit to New York, the case contained three H. Upmanns, a moderately priced premium brand.

Mr. Smith also carries business cards and varietal charts detailing the wines he produces. And though he does not often use it, he always keeps a flashlight in his briefcase. ''My briefcase is my security blanket,'' he said. ''It's like a toolbox. There are certain things I always have in it. And you can never have too many flashlights.'' ALAN KRAUSS