Big News

Graton, CA— Purple Wine Company is honored to announce that Mark West has been awarded the Impact Hot Brand Award in 2011 for the second year in a row. As the best-selling Pinot Noir nationwide, with an IRI annual revenue growth rate of 27%, Mark West was a natural candidate for the award. The Impact Hot Brand Award is given by M. Shanken Communications annually to established brands that achieve superior sales growth and performance in the marketplace.

Additionally, Mark West was named one of Symphony IRI’s Top 30 Momentum Table Wine Brands in food and drug stores for 2011, achieving the honor of being the only Pinot Noir-focused brand in the Top 30 Momentum Brands group. Pinot Noir was the nation’s fastest growing key varietal in 2011, up 12% overall. Pinot Noir priced from $10 to $14, up 28%, is the fastest growing of all key varietal price segments, according to the 2011 Gomberg Frederickson Report. Mark West leads the growth in this dynamic segment.

“We’ve built Mark West with focused sales and marketing strategies, investment in wine quality, and enthusiastic support from our distributors and trade accounts,” says Derek Benham, CEO of Purple Wine Company, speaking about the success of his company’s flagship brand. “In 2002, there simply wasn’t affordable Pinot Noir. Mark West changed all that and continues to be the Pinot that is recognized for its quality and style.”

Mark West’s total volume growth continues to soar, rising 33% during the twelve-week period that ended February 19, 2012. This success builds on 10 years of double-digit growth for both the Mark West brand and for Purple Wine Company, whose volume has grown on average over 40% each year over the past decade.

About Purple Wine Company

Purple Wine Company was founded in 2001 by Derek Benham and is based in Graton, California. Its mission is to create wines that offer outstanding value, are high quality and consistent in style from vintage to vintage. The wines are produced at its sister production company, Sonoma Wine Company, using water and energy conservation practices, while reducing Greenhouse gas emissions. Current brands include Mark West, Avalon, Four Vines, and Bex. For more information, please visitwww.purplewine.com or contact Katie Hunter of Charles Communications Associates at 415.701.9463 or press@charlescomm.com.

GRATON, CA, August 19, 2010 – Purple Wine Company (PWC), the dynamic, fast growing company behind wine brands Avalon, Mark West, Rock Rabbit and Bex, today announced personnel additions with the appointment of two veteran wine sales professionals including a new Western Region Chain Accounts Manager, Gregory W. Dotts, and a Northwest Region Sales Manager, Tony Luera.

Gregory W. Dotts, who was appointed Western Region Chain Accounts Manager, started his career at The Wine Group where he worked in both the supplier and distributor sides of the business.  Prior to his move to PWC, Dotts spent 14 years at Regal Wine Company, the California distribution arm of Kendall Jackson/Majestic Fine Wines.

“Greg’s 18 years of supplier and distributor experience will be a welcome addition to the growing brands of Purple Wine Company,” noted Ron Janowczyk, Vice President of Purple Wine Company. “His expertise and equity in California, coupled with his fine wine background and business acumen will make him an immediate success in the West Coast chain market.”

Separately, PWC also announced the appointment of Tony Luera as Northwest Region Sales Manager. Luera spent the early years of his career in the Pacific Northwest before joining E&J Gallo Winery as chain manager, specializing in category management. Luera later moved to the supplier side with White Rocket Wine Company, a division of Kendall Jackson, where he developed skills in brand development and distributor management.  Most recently, Luera was the National Sales Manager for Goose Ridge Winery out of the Columbia Valley in Washington.

“Tony’s specialized knowledge of the Northwest market will be a great asset to the fast growing brands of Mark West, Avalon, Rock Rabbit and Bex” adds Janowczyk. “ Tony’s knowledge of our wholesaler’s personnel and of the key account buyers in the marketplace will hasten the realization of our forecasted volume in the Region.”

About Purple Wine Company
Purple Wine Company was founded in 2001 by Derek Benham to create and market a number of individual brands built around a single focus.  Current brands include Avalon Cabernet Sauvignon, Mark West Pinot Noir, Bex Riesling, and Rock Rabbit Sauvignon Blanc. The executive team includes Dennis Carroll, President; Ron Janowczyk, Senior Vice President and Alex Cose, Winemaker.

For information on Purple Wine Company and its brands or to schedule an interview, please contact: Kendall Johnson at Charles Communications Associates, kendall@charlescomm.com or 415-701-9463.

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Mark West Pinot Noir Launches National “Pinot for the People” Design Contest

Graton, CA, May 4, 2009… In honor of May Day 2009, Mark West Pinot Noir celebrates everyday hard working people with the launch of “Pinot for the People – T-shirt for the People” – a national design contest open to wine enthusiasts, designers and creative minds alike.

Participants are invited to submit their original (and witty!) designs for a special edition t-shirt to debut at the 2009 Pinot Days Wine Tasting Event in San Francisco, which attracts over 2500 wine enthusiasts each year. Mark West’s value driven, high quality Pinot Noir strives to offer the everyday wine drinker a quality wine without the price tag and pretentiousness that often accompanies this “high maintenance” grape. Mark West, known as the “Pinot for the People” – once again asks the consumer to be involved in their wine.

The winning artist will receive a $500 reward and their design will be made into t-shirts worn by and distributed to wine enthusiasts throughout San Francisco and Wine Country. In addition to the award money, the design will be featured on Mark West’s website and shared with the design community at CrowdSpring.com, an online marketplace for creative services. Entrants are welcome to submit as many designs as they would like.

The “Pinot for the People – T-shirt for the People” contest starts Monday, May 4th and ends on May 17th, 2009 at midnight. There is no purchase necessary to participate in this event.  All necessary information – including rules, where to enter, and background information is available online. Visit the Contest or for more information visit our website: www.markwestwines.com.

The winning design will be chosen after May 18th by the Mark West judging panel and announced via our Facebook Fan Page on June 1st, 2009. We will send a follow up email announcing the winner the following week.

About Mark West Pinot Noir
Mark West specializes in producing great value California Pinot Noir with varietal integrity and quality.  Mark West’s Pinot Noir appeals to a wide range of wine drinkers who enjoy an affordable everyday Pinot Noir at home or by the glass in restaurants. Mark West is one of the top five best selling Pinot Noirs in the country and was selected as one of the “Most Popular Pinot Noirs” in the 20th Annual Restaurant Poll in Wine & Spirits Magazine in April 2009. The eco-friendly winery in Graton has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency, granted an Energy Star Award and became an accredited Sonoma County Green Business in 2008.

For more information on Mark West wines and the people behind them, contact Kendall Johnson, Charles Communications Associates, kendall@charlescomm.com or 415.701.9463.

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Mark West Pinot Noir Teams Up with Raley’s to Celebrate Earth Day

The result: energy savings, water conservation and a garden of basil

Graton, CA, April 15, 2009… Everyday at Mark West is Earth Day, where its winery’s energy and water conservation practices are built into the eco-conscious winemaking process. Although everyone has been touting their green report cards of late, Mark West has quietly focused more on producing an exceptional value Pinot Noir for under $15 than elaborating on the number of awards they’ve won for their energy and water conservation measures as well as greenhouse gas emissions reductions.  We, as their PR firm think that it’s something to talk about hence our release to you ☺ .

This Earth Day however, the green initiatives are reaching beyond the winery practices and being embraced by Raley’s customers in stand-up displays throughout California for an Earth Day kick off promotion. Mark West has designed “plantable” coasters, which have been embedded with basil seeds and will be tied around the neck of bottles of Mark West Pinot Noir. When consumers are done using the coasters, they can be planted in soil and yield this most versatile of summer herbs.

“Mark West’s Pinot Noir has always been about providing everyday wine drinkers with an affordable and enjoyable Pinot Noir. We are happy to be able to provide Raley’s customers with a fun way to enjoy Earth Day by reminding them that even at the value level, you can still find great, eco-friendly wine.” Says Ron Janowczyk, Vice President of Sales. “Raley’s commitment to sustainability, local producers and the environment made them a perfect partner to work with on this Earth Day special offering.”

About Mark West
Mark West specializes in producing great value California Pinot Noir with varietal integrity and quality.  Mark West’s Pinot Noir appeals to a wide range of wine drinkers who enjoy an affordable everyday Pinot Noir at home or by the glass in restaurants. Mark West is one of the top five best selling Pinot Noirs in the country and was selected as one of the “Most Popular Pinot Noirs” in the 20th Annual Restaurant Poll in Wine & Spirits Magazine in April 2009. The winery in Graton has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency, granted an Energy Star Award and became an accredited Sonoma County Green Business in 2008.

For more information on Mark West wines and the people behind them, contact Kendall Johnson, Charles Communications Associates, kendall@charlescomm.com or 415.701.9463.

About Raley’s
Raleys, a privately-owned supermarket chain based in West Sacramento, California, was founded by Tom Raley, who opened his first store in 1935. The company is committed to providing busy, health-conscientious families with convenient, high- quality foods at outstanding value. More information about Raleys and its green initiatives is available at www.raleys.com.

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Great Economic News:  Everything’s Coming Up Pinot for Mark West Winery As They Share News of A 2008 Filled With Increased Sales, Scores and Green Kudos

Graton, CA, January 30, 2009…While the economic crisis may be gloom and doom for some, it’s been a boom for wine companies like Mark West Winery, who deliver great quality at a value price. As the dominant player in the Pinot Noir space, the company is proud to share the good news that:

• 2008 sales increased 45% over prior year
• December 2008 were 46% greater than prior year
• Mark West is now the largest selling single SKU of Pinot Noir in the U.S.

“Our business proposition has always been to deliver single-varietal, hand-crafted wines at a value price,” shared founder, Derek Benham. “We had great traction going into 2008 which set the stage for us to respond well to the economy driven demands of the savvy consumer looking for a great wine.”

No strangers to success, Derek Benham is a veteran of the wine world, who sold his first varietally driven venture, Blackstone Winery to Pacific Wine Partners in October 2001. This success was due to understanding consumer trends and predicting the next one. When he acquired Mark West, he knew the benefits of a focused varietal approach and chose Pinot Noir as his next hot wine.  It certainly didn’t hurt that his efforts coincided with the film Sideways, which brought great attention to the California varietal, putting the relative unknown grape on the map in America.

Choosing to work with high-end winemaking genius turned value-driven craftsman Alex Cose (formerly of Peter Michael Winery), was also prophetic for the times. Cose has applied his talents to Mark West, which has raised the wine’s profile and popularity among consumers, restaurateurs and critics alike.

One boost to sales in 2008 was the fact that Mark West Pinot Noir was featured in The Wine Trials, a book by Robin Goldstein. In the book, Goldstein challenged sommeliers to blind taste value-driven wines along side their high-end sisters. The 2005 Mark West Pinot Noir beat the old guard hands down – ranking #1 of 52 wines. Not bad for a wine at a remarkable price of around $12 a bottle.

Media in the fourth quarter highlighting consumer trends toward purchasing wines under $15, combined with the fact that the economic woes hit right before the holidays proved to be another boost for Mark West in 2008.  The holidays traditionally are a time when Pinot Noir sales are at their peak since the wine pairs so well with turkey, salmon, lamb and other favorites. Consumers flocked to Mark West to share a popular, affordable and trusted brand at the holiday dinner table.

In addition to the perfect storm of varietal foresight, craftsmanship, and an economy that drove consumers into the value-priced market place, Mark West scored points as it hit its stride in 2008 on the green frontier, gaining recognition for its energy efficient, water-conserving, eco-conscious winemaking facility in Graton.  The facility, which works under the name of Sonoma Wine Company, was recognized by the EPA and became an accredited Sonoma County Green Business in 2008.

For more information on Mark West wines and the people behind them, contact Kimberly Charles or Kendall Johnson, Charles Communications Associates,  press@charlescomm.com or  415.701.9463.

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