Eagle Eye in Illinois and Vineyard Road in Massachusetts and Rhode Island
October 6, 2025 (Napa Valley, CA) — Effective immediately the estate-vineyard wines of Smith-Madrone Vineyards & Winery are being represented in Massachusetts and Rhode Island by Vineyard Road and in Illinois by Eagle Eye Brands.
“We are delighted to be represented by these distinguished distributors,” said Stu Smith, General Partner/Founder, Smith-Madrone, in making the announcement. “These are wines from one of the greatest terroirs in California,” said Jason Knysz, President, Eagle Eye Brands. “We’ve been proud to represent Smith-Madrone’s amazing wines in Michigan for several years, and are honored and excited to be able to extend that relationship into the Illinois market,” said Rich Hutchinson, Purchasing Manager, Eagle Eye Brands. “These are wines with restraint and polish, which express their mountain personality with distinctive style and character,” he adds.
“We are long-time fans of Smith-Madrone and the wines are a perfect fit for the Vineyard Road portfolio. Our team looks forward to sharing their story and wines, which embody the history and spirit of Spring Mountain,” said Tom Modica, Vice President, Business Development, Vineyard Road.
The new distributors are launching with Smith-Madrone’s 2021 Estate Chardonnay, 2019 Estate Riesling, 2021 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and 2018 Cook’s Flat Reserve, all originating from the winery’s estate vineyard in the Spring Mountain District appellation of the Napa Valley.
“Doing things the easy way has never been the Smith-Madrone way,” Stu Smith says. “Whether it’s digging boulders out of the mountain to make way for our vines or farming slopes up to 34%, our goals, our passion, our life is to grow the very best grapes, whatever the hardships. We know that only the best wine comes from the best grapes, and we were inspired when we began by the saying Bacchus amat colles, that Bacchus loves the hills,” he adds.
Smith-Madrone is one of Napa Valley’s authentically artisanal wineries, founded in 1971 by Stuart Smith. Winemaking and grape-growing are handled entirely by the two brother-proprietors, Stuart and Charles Smith, iconoclasts known for their staunch adherence to dry farming on their mountain vineyard. All of Smith-Madrone’s wines come from the 38 acres of estate vineyards surrounding the winery, planted 54 years ago by Stuart and Charles. The vineyards extend across steep mountainsides, at elevations between 1,300 and 1,900 feet, on slopes angling up to 34%. Total production each year is less than 4,000 cases. More at www.smithmadrone.com.
About Eagle Eye
In 2004, Eagle Eye Brands was established in Michigan with the mission of representing great French wines at the best possible prices. Today, that mission has grown to include wines from all regions of the world. We choose wines that adhere to three principles – authenticity, approachability, and accessibility. Our success in Michigan has allowed us to expand our operation to include a distribution wing in Illinois as well as a National Import Division that partners with distributors across the US and internationally. More at https://www.eagleeyebrands.com/
About Vineyard Road
Vineyard Road is an importer and distributor of fine wines and spirits from around the world. Based in Framingham, Massachusetts, we sell to retail and restaurant license holders in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Since 2000, we have offered high-quality and high-value wines that reflect their soils of origin. Vineyard Road specializes in small production and artisanal producers who work in concert with the land to produce wines of distinct and authentic character. We also feature fine and rare wines, offering older vintages of bottles sourced with a thorough nod to provenance. More at https://vineyardroad.net/
