SWRG Smith & Wollensky Restr Grp (MM)

Explore Smith & Wollensky's Great American Wine List When the 34th National Wine Week Sets the Pace for Fun Dining March 22 - 26, 2004 Five days of delicious March madness, with new wine selections each day: 10 wines daily, 10 cities, $10 NEW YORK, Feb. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wine Week hits the restaurant scene March 22 through 26, and the deal of the season is available at every one of the restaurants in the Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group, Inc. . For the five days of this 34th semi-annual National Wine Week(TM), the irresistible offer at each of the company's highly acclaimed restaurants in 10 U.S. cities is a sampling of 10 fine wines for only $10, which is added to the cost of lunch. The selection changes each day, and the seasoned Smith & Wollensky waiters pour with a generous hand. Marlene Dietrich would never have felt the need to say here, "and don't be stingy, baby." (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020904/SWRGLOGO) The popularity of this innovative group's bustling restaurant scene means reservations are hard to come by, and savvy regulars make a point of booking ahead. There is a great deal to explore. Introduced in 2003, the Smith & Wollensky Great American Wine List offers 650 of America's finest wines at each of the steakhouses around the country. The diversity is fascinating, with selections from celebrated greats like Mondavi, Beringer and Screaming Eagle, plus an "undiscovered gems" section with wines that include Silver Wine of Santa Barbara, Valiant Vineyards of South Dakota and Pontchartrain in Louisiana. Houston Becomes 10th S&W City In January this year, the 10th Smith & Wollensky steakhouse opened in Houston, and another is currently preparing for a fall opening in Boston. This March, the Smith & Wollensky Wine Week samplings are offered in New York, Columbus, Chicago, Las Vegas, Miami Beach, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Houston and *Dallas. Over 700 U.S. vintners will be participating throughout the week, and a percentage of the proceeds will be donated to Citymeals-On-Wheels, a charitable endeavor that provides home-delivered nutritious meals for homebound, elderly New Yorkers. More Manhattan Choices Additional Manhattan restaurants within the group are individually named, and serve international wine selections. Participating in Wine Week are: Cite, Maloney & Porcelli, Manhattan Ocean Club, ONEc.p.s. Brasserie, Park Avenue Cafe and The Post House. Attending vintners will include Heitz, Jordan, Far Niente, Ch�teau Meyney, Conde de Valdemar, Opus One, Dom Perignon and Veuve Cliquot. The Great Wine Adventure Preparing now for this popular week of super-high activity, Smith & Wollensky Chairman, CEO and founder Alan Stillman commented: "It's a time for adventure. Wine Week opens the way to explore wines you may never have tasted before and to savor some you know and love. It offers a grand opportunity for experimenting with wine and food pairings, and to enjoy an extraordinary range of great tastes in the company of your choice." Working on the selections for March, Vice President Kevin Zraly is deep in daily conversation with vintners around the country. Zraly was formerly wine director at the famed Windows on the World from 1976 to 2001. During his 25-yeartenure, he created the restaurant's now legendary wine list and designed a training program that produced the most knowledgeable wine-service staff in the industry. Wine Director Danielle Price is busy overseeing preparations in every restaurant's wine cellar. "Maintaining perfect conditions for storage is a delicate operation," she noted, "and our staff members at every venue undergo rigorous training. Preparations for Wine Week begin well in advance, and the excitement of anticipation keeps everyone charged with energy." A 19-Year History National Wine Week(TM) is held twice a year, in March and September. Now in its 19th year, Wine Week has grown into the premier wine event for people outside the trade. Since its inception with only four restaurants and 20 vintners in 1985, an estimated three and a quarter million customers have attended to date, and Wine Week has become a national event. For additional information, and to be added to a mailing list for the brochure, visit http://www.smithandwollensky.com/ or http://www.nationalwineweek.com/; or call 1-800-638-6449, Ext. 51. About Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group: The Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group develops, owns and operates high-end, high-volume restaurants in major cities across the United States. The original Smith & Wollensky, a traditional New York steakhouse, opened in 1977 and is currently the largest-grossing a la carte restaurant in the country. Since its inception, the company has grown to 17 restaurants, including Smith & Wollensky in New York, Miami Beach, Chicago, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Columbus, Dallas, Houston and Boston (opening in fall, 2004). SWRG also operates six other restaurants in New York and Chicago, including Cite, Maloney & Porcelli, Manhattan Ocean Club, ONEc.p.s., Park Avenue Cafe and The Post House. Except for historical information contained herein, the statements made in this press release regarding the Company's business, strategy and results of operations are forward-looking statements which are based on management's beliefs as well as on a number of assumptions concerning future events made with information currently available to management. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the Company's control, including: economic conditions generally and in each of the markets in which we are located, the amount of sales contributed by new and existing restaurants, labor costs for our personnel, fluctuations in the cost of food products, changes in consumer preferences, the level of competition from existing or new competitors in the high-end segment of the restaurant industry, and our success in implementing our growth strategy. These factors could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. For a more detailed description of the factors that could cause such a difference, please see the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. * In Dallas, offered at dinner only; and due to TABC regulations, the program is exclusive to members and their guests. There is no fee to join; immediate membership is available. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020904/SWRGLOGODATASOURCE: Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group, Inc. CONTACT: David Shein of RFBinder Partners, +1-212-994-7514, or cell, +1-917-613-8881, or , for Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group Web site: http://www.nationalwineweek.com/ http://www.smithandwollensky.com/

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