Torrontes Pop-Up & Empanadita-Off 5/17 http://tastetorrontes.eventbrite.com/ Crios Wine and leading Argentine wine importer Vine Connections invite you to taste, learn and immerse yourself in Torrontés (and tweet about it, if you’d like!) at TASTE #TORRONTÉS Thursday, May 17^th2012

Tasting of 6 celebrated Torrontés paired with light appetizers 4 pm – 5:30 pm Torrontés seminar led by Crios winemaker Jose Lovaglio 5-5:30 pm

Churchill’s The Office 198 Church Street (@ Market)

San Francisco

* PERKS *

Discover a New VarietyTorrontés, the leading white wine made in Argentina, has been growing in popularity in the U.S. due to increased awareness of the varietal’s excellence and a growing import presence.  Crios is the number-one-imported Torrontés by US dollar value.

Be Part of a World Wide Twitter Event

This trade and media reception is part of our #torrontés day celebration, a multi-time-zone online event occuring Thursday, May 17th.  To join in the online portion of our event, please use the hash tag #Torrontésand tag @crioswine.

** Consumer Event 6-8pm – description: http://becometorrontes.eventbrite.com/

PERKS: Discover a New Variety * Be Part of a World Wide Twitter Event Torrontes is the star new white wine from Argentina, and this walk-around tasting of six Torrontes will also feature a fun informal empanadita-off to find the best pairings (empanadas are coming from El Porteno, “Best Emapanada 2010,” 7×7).  To keep things lively, there will also be shuffle board and prizes given for best Torrontes twasting notes and empanadita pics! Brought to you by leading Argentine wine importer Vine Connections and Crios wine, this event is part of a global #Torrontes Day Twitter celebration and will be hosted by 2nd generation Crios winemaker Jose Lovaglio.  If you’ve been wanting to learn more about Argentine wine and if you like empanadas – and especially if you like Tweeting (but this is totally not a requirement!) – please come out to this first-of-its kind event! Tickets are an insane value at $10,

Cheers to you!

- CC

Courtney Cochran

(direct) 415.944.5078

(office) 415.332.8466 x218

www.vineconnections.com

SMITH-MADRONE HONORS THE CAMEO CENTENNIAL

 Smith brothers will toast The Cameo’s kick-off of its 100th year

St. Helena, NapaValley, May 2012—-Smith-Madrone Vineyards & Winery will provide wines and a toast as The Cameo Cinema begins a year of celebrating its centennial. On May 15 at 8 p.m. the kick-off event will be a screening of the silent film, The Kings of the Forest, which had its very first screening at The Cameo on May 15, 1913. Tickets are $20 available online and at The Cameo (1340 Main Street, St. Helena). The evening will include not only this unprecedented screening of a historic film but also an introduction and commentary on The Cameo’s history by local historian Mariam Hansen, a toast from vintners Stu Smith and Charles Smith of Smith-Madrone Winery, desserts and also a sneak preview of Rod Vance’s upcoming documentary, Napa Valley Dreams. The Kings of theForestwill have live piano accompaniment by Mike Greensill.

The Cameo opened its doors on May 15, 1913, and this was the very first film shown—to an audience of 500 people. More about The Kings of The Forest: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selig_Polyscope_Company

A coincidence—-Smith-Madrone Winery opened its doors also on a May 15—in 1971. “We’re ‘only’ just celebrating our 41st anniversary,” said Stuart Smith, “so our respect for 100 years is enormous,” he added. Stuart and Charles are long-time fans of The Cameo, often zooming in to see a new movie fresh from the crush pad.

The Cameo’s centennial year will feature an event each month honoring its 100 years in business. More at http://arts.cameocinema.com/centennial/

The Cameo Cinema, at 100 years old, may be the oldest single screen movie house still operating inAmerica. Today it is one of fewer than 25 single-screen single-owned theaters in the entireUnited States—and the only one with digital and 3-D capability. It was meticulously restored in 1997 with touches including a classic Art Deco lobby, purple-upholstered seats and movie star photo-wallpaper. The Cameo maintains a lively calendar of community programming including art house movies, family films, film classes and more. The Cameo live-streams historic events ranging from World Cup soccer to royal weddings and also serves a venue for non-profit fundraisers.

Smith-Madrone is one ofNapaValley’s original artisanal wineries, founded on top of SpringMountain(St. Helena) in 1971 by Stuart Smith and Charles Smith. All of the winery’s wines are made from the estate vineyards surrounding the winery, planted 40 years ago by the two brothers. The vineyards are mostly dry-farmed on steep mountainsides surrounding the winery, at elevations between 1,300 and 1,900 feet, in rocky, red volcanic soil, on slopes angling up to 34%. General Manager Stuart Smith commented recently when the winery was called one of the few ‘authentic’ wineries in the marketplace. “It fits,” he said. “If you define an ‘authentic’ winery as founded, owned and operated by the same people from its beginning through today (40 years later), 100% estate vineyard, wine made at the estate, distinctive wines with personality, artisanal, small production, hands-on winemaking, a picturesque vineyard, a non-designer-designed tasting room, no charge for tastings, owners/founders who planted the vineyard and built the winery with their own hands, the same hands tending the vines and making the wines, then we qualify. We’re 40 years in to our commitment on top ofSpringMountain,” he adds.

Smith-Madrone is perched at the top of the Spring Mountain District appellation in St. Helena, is open for tours and tastings Monday-Saturday, at

(St. Helena, California94574, 707/963-2283, www.smithmadrone.com, info@smithmadrone.com). Tastings and tours are complimentary and are always conducted by either Charles Smith or Stuart Smith.