CLIFTON and PARAMUS, NJ, July 22, 2008 – Known for providing world-class customer service and offering quality wines at great prices, Stew Leonard’s Wines is bringing its retail philosophy for the first time to the Garden State, with stores now open in Clifton and Paramus, New Jersey.

The wine stores feature more than 2,000 varieties of wine from around the world, a fine wine room with highly-allocated, top-rated wines and a gourmet cheese department. The stores host daily in-store samplings, as well as numerous special events and educational wine seminars, featuring well-known wine makers and award-winning wines.

Upholding Stew Leonard's Wines marketing and merchandizing philosophy, the shops do not have a "warehouse" look and feel, but rather maintain an upscale design with plenty of natural wood and soft lighting. The layout groups wines by country and varietal, with an abundance of signage and recommendations to educate and guide customers. The stores pride themselves on having friendly and knowledgeable team members, many of whom are certified wine specialists, to take out the intimidation factor in buying wine and help customers find a wine that fits their tastes as well as budget.

"We have visited wineries all over the world to bring in a unique selection of wines, so whether you are looking for a hidden gem under $10 or a hard to find wine for a special occasion, I guarantee you will find something you'll love," said Stew Leonard.

Stew Leonard's Wines of Clifton
Address:   345 Allwood Road, Clifton, New Jersey 07013
Store Phone:   973-859-7700
Store Hours:   Monday – Saturday, 9:00 A.M. – 9:00 P.M. and Sunday, 12:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.

The 11,162 square-foot store opened on Friday, May 23rd at the new "Village at Clifton" lifestyle center next door to TGI Friday's on Route 3. As part of the grand opening events, the store hosted a book signing with celebrity chef and restaurateur Mario Batali, and a wine tasting and bottle signing with The Sopranos star and wine series owner Lorraine Bracco. To sign up to receive emails about store events, samplings and specials, visit http://www.vineyardsofclifton.com/home.cfm.

Stew Leonard's Wines of Paramus
Address:   396 Route 17 North, Paramus, New Jersey 07653
Store Phone:   201-649-0882
Store Hours:  Monday – Saturday, 9:00 A.M. – 9:00 P.M. and Sunday, 12:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.

Stew Leonard's Wines of Paramus celebrates their grand opening today. The 9,200 square foot store is located on Route 17 North next door to Fidelity Investments and near Trader Joe's, where the Safavieh Rugs & Home used to be. To commemorate the grand opening, restaurateur, cookbook author and public television star Lidia Bastianich will sign copies of her newest cookbook, Lidia's Italy: 140 Simple and Delicious Recipes from the Ten Places in Italy Lidia Loves Most, on Saturday, July 26th from 1:00 – 3:00 P.M. A wine and cheese sampling will accompany the book signing. To sign up to receive emails about store events, samplings and specials, visit http://www.vineyardsofparamus.com/home.cfm.

About Stew Leonard’s Wines
Stew Leonard's Wines is a customer-driven wine retailer, providing consumers with quality wines at great prices, world-class customer service and a pleasant shopping experience that takes the intimidation factor out of selecting wines. Each Stew Leonard's Wines shop is independently owned and operated, with three stores in Connecticut, two in New York and now two in New Jersey.

Stew Leonard's Wines are not a chain or cooperative buying group and are not part of the Stew Leonard's grocery chain. Each store purchases product separately. Prices may vary between stores.