We love our Star Chef dinners. If you’ve joined us for one, you know how much fun they can be. We are fortunate to hosts chefs from throughout New England, and the United States, for beautiful evenings of food and wine.
It is a rare occasion, however, when we get to host the maker of “the best riesling in the world.” This wine tasting dinner will be hosted by none other than Stu Smith, of Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery.
Courtesy of Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery
The winery, located in St. Helena, California, in the Napa Valley region, was founded in 1971 by brothers Stu and Charles Smith. As it turns out, though, there is evidence of vineyards on the property dating back to the late 1880s, when George W. Cook received the land from the United States Land Office.
The vineyard is situated on rocky, volcanic-based soil, with steep slopes, groves of olive trees, and an array of wildlife.
Courtesy of Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery
As for the wines, T.J. Jones, in the Bach to Bacchus blog calls them “totally genuine, the real thing, if you will. Honest, no pretensions, devoted to truth in a down to earth way that is not just admirable but inspiring.” He went on to say, “I think of Smith-Madrone as a triumph of the human spirit. Meeting people like this and tasting wine like this are part of what makes life worthwhile.”
If that isn’t enough, The Daily Meal awarded Smith-Madrone the 2014 Winery of the Year, noting the “quality of the wines and the winery’s industry leadership.”
The Smith brothers describe their process on their website, stating:
all wines [are] made entirely from the winery’s dry-farmed estate vineyards surrounding the winery on top of Spring Mountain in the Napa Valley. Stuart Smith chose specific slopes with different exposures for specific varietals when planting the vineyards: eastern exposure for Riesling, southern and western exposures across flat stretches for the Cabernet Sauvignon and the coolest north-facing slopes for the Chardonnay.
Courtesy of Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery
Now, thanks to Sage Cellars, in Warren, Rhode Island, and The Savory Grape, in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, Stu Smith will be at Gracie’s for an exclusive wine tasting dinner on Tuesday, June 23.
This four-course paired wine tasting dinner begins at 6 p.m. with complimentary drinks and passed canapes. Tickets are $95, exclusive of tax and gratuity. For reservations, call us at 401.272.7811, or email tenneal@graciesprov.com.
You won’t want to miss this!
