As thoughts of wine enthusiasts turn to the fall harvest, Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group announces The Forty-Ninth National Wine Week, September 12–16. During this week, eight iconic restaurant locations, under the guidance of Stuart Roy, national director of wine and spirits, will offer a variety of super-premium wines carefully selected to complement the Smith & Wollensky award-winning menu. Roy expects more than 25,000 glasses of more than 200 different wines to be served over the course of five days in the eight locations nationwide.
Celebrated every March and September, National Wine Week is available to Smith & Wollensky diners anywhere that à la carte lunch is offered within the restaurant. Lunch service is between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. in all participating units. During National Wine Week, Smith & Wollensky patrons will be able to sample 10 wines for $10 with the purchase of a lunch entrée. Selections are customized to each location and will change daily.
“We’re thrilled to offer such exceptional and exclusive wines to our patrons during this fall’s National Wine Week,” Roy says. “It was my goal to craft a superior wine week selection that offers varietals most patrons don’t have the opportunity to taste every day. We ultimately want to deliver a food-and-wine experience that will blow guests away and make them want to sample and learn even more.”
Smith & Wellensky also plans to open its second Boston location, on the historic Atlantic Wharf. “It’s part of the ongoing waterfront development project and will be offering Wine Week guests a spectacular harbor view,” Roy says. The restaurant is scheduled to open late summer.
Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group is an annual recipient of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, a nationwide honor given each year to restaurants whose wine lists offer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine, and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers. This is the 24th consecutive year the restaurant group has earned the honor.
For 2011, Wine Spectator bestowed its Award of Excellence (recognizing lists that provide a well-chosen selection of quality producers) to Smith & Wollensky locations in Miami Beach; Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; Columbus, Ohio; and Boston Back Bay. This year, three locations were awarded the prestigious Best of Award of Excellence: Chicago, Las Vegas, and Houston. The Best of Award typically recognizes wine lists with more than 400 selections, demonstrating exceptional vintage breadth or depth.
“We’ve established an expanded partnership with the wineries featured this fall,” Roy says.
Wine partners for the September event include:
·Castello Banfi. A family-owned vineyard estate and winery in the Brunello region of Tuscany. The first winery in the world recognized for exceptional environmental, social, and ethical responsibility. VINITALY nation award as Best Italian Winery for 12 years running.
· Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery. A leading producer of world class, nationally acclaimed wines since 1985. The winery has more than 19 estate vineyards in five appellations totaling more than 1,400 acres in some of the finest wine growing regions in California.
· Franciscan Estates. This winemaker’s output of legendary wines began with its 1975 Cabernet Sauvignon, establishing the Franciscan style of winemaking, which is based on using smaller lots, blended together to achieve the greatest expression. Its vineyards are located in the premium southern half of Napa Valley, an area that yields more vibrant flavors and finer tannins.
· Rodney Strong Vineyards. One of the pioneers of Sonoma County’s modern wine industry, Rodney Strong grows and produces wines from grapes grown exclusively in Sonoma County’s finest appellations: Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley, Chalk Hill, and Sonoma Coast.
Smith & Wollensky is also offering a Wine Week drawing for guests to enter. Anyone can fill out an entry by visiting the website for registration online. Those entering the raffle will have the chance to win a variety of exciting prizes including a $100 Smith & Wollensky gift card; magnums of Banfi, Rodney Strong, or Ferrari-Carano wines; a Banfi Wine gift basket; Franciscan branded Riedel decanters; or eight sets of six Smith & Wollensky wine glasses and a corkscrew.The glasses are fire-blown from Stolzle, who produce the finest machine-made crystal available for the retail and hospitality industries. The stemware is known for its clarity, brilliance and durability.
