Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada receives "2011 Supplier of the Year" from the Nevada Hotel and Lodging Association

Las Vegas, Dec 13, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada (SWS-NV), a division of Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc.(Southern), the nation's leading wine and spirits distributor with operations in 35 states, has been recognized as "2011 Supplier of the Year" by the Nevada Hotel and Lodging Association's (NHLA) at the annual Stars of the Industry Awards dinner. This NHLA event was held on November 29th in conjunction with the Nevada Governor's Conference on Tourism.

This coveted award--which honors suppliers and wholesalers of the lodging industry for excellence--was bestowed upon Southern based on the support and exceptional service that Southern has consistently provided to the lodging industry across the State of Nevada. Nominees were judged on outstanding service by their particular company to the NHLA as well as to the industry.

"Being nominated and winning this prestigious award is a direct result of the outstanding service that the employees within Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada provide to the Nevada Hotel and Lodging Association as well as to the industry," commented Larry Ruvo, Senior Managing Director of SWS-NV. "We proudly share this award with, and say thank you to, each and every one of you, our valued Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada employees," Ruvo concluded.

"Southern's philosophy of building long-term relationships and providing the best service to its customer community is what guides us day to day," added Brad Vassar, Southern's Executive Vice President-General Manager. "We are extremely honored that our Nevada sales and service professionals' hard work and dedication to the entire Nevada hotel and lodging community is being recognized in this way."

For more information on the Supplier of the Year award, including a complete list of award recipients, visit http://nvhotels.com/nhla-stars-of-the-industry.asp .

About Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc.

Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. is the nation's largest wine and spirits distributor and broker with operations in 35 markets. The multi-state distributor currently operates in: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia--as well as the additional seven states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Utah through the Southern-Odom/Spirits West partnership. In addition, Southern has a presence in Maryland and the District of Columbia through a joint venture with F.P. Winner Wine & Spirits as well as a joint venture operation in Minnesota with J.J. Taylor Distributing Company. Southern also holds operating licenses and permits in Nebraska and Texas. On a national basis, Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. employs more than 11,000 team members.

Southern urges all retail customers and adult consumers to market, sell, serve and enjoy its products responsibly. For more information about Southern and its responsible consumption program, see: http://www.southernwine.com .

About the Nevada Hotel & Lodging Association

Since 1979 NHLA is the unifying voice for Nevada's multi-billion dollar resort and lodging industry. With over 200 resort hotels in membership representing more than 200,000 rooms, NHLA is the state's largest industry advocate.