Afternoon Brief, December 29th

What Were Wine's Biggest Deals of 2023?: In uncertain times for wine, stronger players are scooping up small but promising vintners...

Afternoon Brief, December 22nd

California State Controller Weighs in on Napa Winery Dispute: In a letter shared with the drinks business, Malia Cohen, California State Controller, has demanded an explanation from Napa County as to why it is attempting to withdraw the right to hold tastings from three local wineries...

Afternoon Brief, October 5th

Website Launches to Inform Public About Lawsuits: Hoopes Vineyards, Summit Lake Vineyards and Smith-Madrone Winery are suing Napa County over unconstitutional patterns and practices and have now launched saveoursmallwineries.org...

JUNE 1, 2022 – SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA - M. A. Silva USA, the leading manufacturer of premium corks, glass, and packaging in North America, celebrates over 20 years of partnership with Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery. Located in St. Helena, California, Smith-Madrone was founded in 1971 by two brothers, Charlie and Stu Smith. Their highly acclaimed wines have placed the winery in Napa Valley’s spotlight for decades. To celebrate their long-term partnership, Neil Foster, President and Co-Founder of M. A. Silva, met with Charlie and Stu Smith in their vineyard to share a Smith-Madrone vintage sealed with M. A. Silva’s high-end natural cork. During this time, the three reminisced about their years working together and how the industry has changed. Neil Foster recalls when he first dropped off corks and how they were brought straight to Stu Smith’s home rather than the winery. The two parties attribute their strong relationship to having the same business values