If you’ve followed my blog for even a short time, you already know how much I admire the folks at Smith-Madrone. And how much I enjoy sipping their wines.

I’m not alone.

Scroll through their website and you’ll find rave reviews from all parts of the wine universe, from international trade publications to independent wine journalists, all the way down to humble wine bloggers like Yours Truly. The verdict is in:

• Smith-Madrone makes wines with a strong sense of place (Spring Mountain in Napa).
• They produce benchmark Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.
• Their Riesling has garnered a cult following.
• 50+ years of hands-on, family management matters.

My first experience with Smith-Madrone was several years ago, when I received samples of four of their wines. Here’s a link to my tasting notes.

Over the past few years, I’ve enjoyed creating perfect food pairings for the wines – especially the Riesling! And it’s always fun to share these wines with others, showing them that it IS possible to find high-quality Napa wines without spending a fortune.

All good, right?

But there’s another reason I’ll be pouring Smith-Madrone Cabernet this Christmas. Let me tell you a little story . . .

A Sad Girl Gets Her Wine!

Once upon a time, a wine girl from South Florida relocated to New York City. While a welcome change, this relocation was a bit disorienting: the challenge of forging new work relationships and friendships was daunting, not to mention the fact that she was facing her first full winter in 20 years!

Yes, it was a chilly, frightful time for the wine girl. She needed a friendly face or a few words of encouragement to spur her forward into her new life. And that’s when she received an email from Smith-Madrone Winery, offering a special deal on three bottles of their Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. A good omen if ever there was one, said the wine girl, as she logged into her account and placed an order.

A few days later, the wine girl received shipping confirmation and tracking info for her package, and she circled the arrival date on her calendar. She was feeling better already! When the delivery company sent her a message confirming her package had arrived, the wine girl practically danced down to the lobby, where the doorman looked at her quizzically and said,

“I don’t have anything for you.”

Pfffftttt . . . The wine girl’s excitement fizzled out.

She went back upstairs and checked the delivery app, requesting proof that her precious cargo had indeed been delivered. The insolent app insisted that it had! And signed for by someone named JJOHN.

Back to the lobby she went, only to be informed that there was no one at the building by that name. In fact, the doorman said there had been a similar problem just days before, with another package that had supposedly been delivered and signed for by the mysterious JJOHN.

Further pestering of the delivery company resulted in the wine girl being told that the shipper would have to contact them to resolve the problem. So, she reluctantly called Smith-Madrone to see if they could help. Reluctant because it was the middle of harvest, an all-hands-on-deck period for any winery. And she didn’t want to be That Person. But what else to do? Sigh.

After the second ring, the wine girl was greeted by a lively French voice. “Smith-Madrone, this is François, how can I help you?”  She explained her predicament, leading François to say, “I’m not too sure about these things, let me see if I can find someone to help you.” François, as the wine girl later learned, is the Assistant Winemaker.

After a few seconds, another voice came over the phone: “Hello, this is Charlie. What can I help you with?” Yeah, that Charlie. Charlie Smith, Winemaker and (according to the website) general factotum of the enterprise. The wine girl, fully in awe, explained the situation and listened to Charlie’s response.

To paraphrase, he said that, while it was mid-harvest and things were super-busy, he would put in a call to the winery’s fulfillment partner to see what could be done. He assured the wine girl he’d call back with a response no later than the next day.

Charlie did better than that. He called her back within the hour. Their fulfillment partner would initiate a delivery exception procedure with the transport company, and they’d proceed from there. But before he hung up, Charlie reassured the wine girl that, “One way or another, we’re going to make sure you get your wine.” The following day, the wine girl received another call from Charlie saying that a new shipment was on its way, and to please enjoy the wine.

This time the package arrived without issue, and the wine girl smiled, swirled, and sipped. And she felt better. About everything.

This Is Why I Love You Guys!

Thank you, Charlie, François, and everyone at Smith-Madrone for treating your customers like family. I couldn’t have imagined the response I would receive when my wine failed to arrive, especially at such a critically busy time for you all.

I will proudly enjoy my Smith-Madrone Cabernet this Christmas, sharing it with family and friends. We will raise a glass to the team who not only made the wine, but made sure it got where it was most needed. It’ll be a big part of our NYC holiday story!