Wine & Cheese tastings and Two Wine Dinners July and August 2010 San Francisco, CA – Bar Bambino owner Christopher Losa has always had an interest in cultural history and gastronomy and knows that they are inextricably linked. Hungry for knowledge, earlier this spring he set out to explore the backroads of Slovenia, Austria, Croatia and Hungary to discover the indigenous wines and culinary influences that helped shape what is considered modern Italian cuisine today.   Deemed the “Adventures on the Trail of the Habsburg Empire” thematically, Losa has designed exploratory tastings that teach as much about history as they do about the crosswinds of culinary influence. The Habsburg Empire, which inspires the theme of this summer’s events, was also known as the House of Austria and was one of Europe’s most influential royal houses, best known as the origin of all the elected Holy Roman Emperors from 1428 to 1740.  Originally reigning in Austria, the empire grew to include parts of today’s Germany, France, Spain, Hungary and much of Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and the historic Bohemia. It was this cross-cultural mix that created culinary as well as viticultural experimentation throughout the region.  Lately, wine lists and competitions in New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Portland and other culinary meccas have been showcasing wines from Austria, Hungary, and Slovenia as curious palates look for new varieties to enjoy. Two dinners on July 22nd and August 26th take two decidedly different routes, one with indigenous varietal wines from Slovenia, Austria and Croatia, the other with non-indigenous varietals being cultivated with exceptional success in California, Austria, Croatia, Germany and Slovenia.  Chef Lizzie Binder demonstrates her versatility with dishes respecting Italian tradition, but infused with influences from modern Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary. The two wine and cheese pairings on July 17th and August 8th led by Losa and consulting cheese director Daphne Zepos also take their cues from new wine and cheese discoveries by Losa and Zepos respectively.  The first tasting will spotlight wines discovered on Losa’s recent travels and cheeses that highlight Spring milk cheese’s from France.  The second tasting further explores unfamiliar varietals and pairs them with under-exposed cheeses from Germany, Adriatic Italy and northern Greece.. Schedule Adventures On The Trail Of The Habsburg Empire Wine + Cheese Tasting, Part I Saturday 17 Jul  2p - 4p, $35 pp not incl. tax and gratuity 4 wines (2 white, 2 red) from Austria, coastal Croatia, and eastern Slovenia As Owner + Wine Director Christopher Losa was scouring the trail of the Habsburgs for viniculture treasures, consulting cheese director, Daphne Zepos was in France finding the best of cheeses from Spring milk.  This tasting will highlight some of Christopher's finds from Austria, coastal Croatia, and eastern Slovenia and Daphne will present some of her French cheese finds that are just beginning to ripen and fully expose their maker's touch. Cheeses - Comte aged at the Fort of Saint Antoine, Ossau Iraty sheep milk cheese from the Basque Pyrenees Wines - Biodynamic Grüner Vetliner from Bernhard Ott, Furmint from Verus in Eastern Slovenia, and two reds from coastal Croatia: a Dalmatian indigenous blend of Babich, Lasin, and Plavina and from the island of Hvar a Plavac, the ancestral grape of Zinfandel Adventures On The Trail Of The Habsburg Empire Wine Dinner Thursday 22 Jul 7p - 10p, $85 pp not including tax and gratuity 5-course degustation menu of Chef Elizabeth Binder's creations that draw from her mastery of Italian cuisine, infuse them with influences from today's Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, and Hungary, and prepares them from locally sourced organic and sustainable ingredients.  The menu will feature barley risotto with lamb shoulder and mint, sea bass with paprika and heirloom tomatoes, Berkshire pork roasted with stone fruit and cabbage salad. The paired wines follow the trail of owner Christopher Losa's recent travels to the region.  He and Chef Binder have selected unknown, but world-class whites from the Prlekija region of Slovenia and the northern shore of Lake Ballaton in Hungary and red wines ranging from elegant and delicate from the slate soils of Austria to soft and big from Dalmatia on the Croatian coast. Adventures On The Trail Of The Habsburg Empire Wine + Cheese Tasting, Part II Saturday 8 Aug 2p - 4p, $35 pp not incl. tax and gratuity 4 wines (1 white, 1 rosé, 1 red, 1 sweet) from Austria, inland Croatia, Slovenia, and Hungary Bar Bambino-quality cheeses from this part of the world aren't available in the US so we are selecting cheeses from geographically/historically connected areas (southern Germany, Adriatic Italy, and northern Greece) to ensure taste quality, interest, and to spur conversation about the connections and relations of the cheese-making history and viniculture of the general region. Cheese highlights - Asiago washed in red wine from Venice, from Germany the real Munster cheese Wine - An naturally made (amphora) wine from Tomas Tomac in central Croatia, gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon rosé from central Slovenia, St. Laurent from Austria, and an expressive Tokaj from Hungary. New Varietals Wine Dinner Thursday 26 Aug 7p - 10p, $85 pp not including tax and gratuity The globalization of the wine industry has had polarizing effects on wine.  While it could be argued that there has been a dilution  of wine styles to suit a "homogenized" universal palate, there has also been the benefit of new varietals introduced to new growing areas with extraordinary results. For this dinner we will pair "common" varietals made in an uncommonly good fashion in unexpected places.   We've selected Italian varietals grown locally in Napa, Burgundy charmers from Germany, and extraordinary Bordeaux blends from Slovenia.  Chef Lizzie's menu features delicious, refined, and inspired approaches to steak tartare, spaghetti and meatballs, and meatloaf. About Bar Bambino Nestled on an edgy urban block of San Francisco’s Mission District lies Bar Bambino, a neighborhood eatery that brings simple, elegant food and wine to the table in a convivial gathering spot. Inspired by years living in Europe, owner Christopher Losa has created a restaurant the San Francisco Chronicle has hailed as “a true oasis with a sexy, speakeasy vibe”. Embracing the idea that life is better around the table, Bar Bambino offers seasonally inspired Italian classics served in an lively and informal, urban atmosphere. Featuring locally and sustainably sourced produce and meats, house-made pastas, and inspired desserts, Executive Chef Elizabeth Binder demonstrates a thorough knowledge of regional Italian cuisine while her understated touch brings a lightness and elegance to traditional recipes. Opened in April 2007, Bar Bambino has garnered local and national accolades, repeatedly named as a San Francisco Chronicle Top 100 restaurant and as one of Bon Appetit Magazine’s Top 10 Wine Bars in the nation. For more information and reservations please call Bar Bambino at 415/701 VINO (8466) or email info@barbambino.com ###

Livermore, CA, July 8th 2010 - Today the Wente Family received the California Exposition and State Fair's 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award for its contributions since its founding in 1883 to the advancement and improvement of the wine industry in California. 'We are very proud of receiving the Wine Lifetime Achievement Award and see it as a recognition of our family's contribution to the Californian wine business through five generations. This is as much a tribute to our founder Carl H. Wente who established Wente Vineyards 127 years ago, as it's a tribute to the fourth and fifth generations, who are now running the family businesses', says Carolyn Wente, Fourth Generation and CEO of Wente Family Estates. For the last 15 years, the California Exposition and State Fair has honored pioneering figures in the wine business with this prestigious award at a ceremony during the 'California's Grape & Gourmet', the California State Fair's premier wine competition, which took place today at the Sacramento Convention Center. Leading role in the Californian wine business Counted among the first commercial winemakers in California, the Wente family was particularly pioneering with its importation of Chardonnay clones from France and improved winemaking techniques during the late 19th century. Wente was the first winery to varietally label wines asChardonnay (1936) and Sauvignon Blanc (1933), and today Wente's Chardonnays are still counted as the winery's flagship wines. The family's impact on the Californian wine business is obvious even today, where the Wente Clone is the most widely planted Chardonnay clone in California, accounting for close to 80% of the plantings in the state.  In addition, the family plays a leading role in promoting the California wine business through actively serving as board members and officers with various wine and business associations, including the Wine Institute, where both Eric and Phil Wente have served as chairs, as well as the Livermore Chamber of Commerce and the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association. Dedicated to sustainability Throughout its history as a winemaking family, the Wente’s have been dedicated to sustainable farming and production methods beginning with sustainable practices employed in the late 1800’s by C.H. Wente. A century later, to honor the centennial the family created their 'Farming for the Future' Program, the purpose of which is to enhance the well-being of employees, the local community and the global environment. At Wente Vineyards, sustainable winegrowing integrates three main goals: environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity. 'In many ways this approach goes beyond that of organic farming by focusing on the long-term sustainability of the entire environment, watersheds, habitats and ecosystems within the entire operation', explains Karl Wente, Fifth Generation and Senior Vice-President of Winemaking and Viticulture. Wente Vineyards is also in the forefront of California wineries that are seeking a new statewide certification in Sustainable Winegrowing, and was part of a group of eighteen wineries that were pilot participants in the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing undertaking. In addition to sustainable winegrowing, the program also includes the family's lifestyle and hospitality operations. The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards uses locally sourced (within 100 miles as a rule of thumb) sustainably raised produce, fish, game and meat as well as ingredients from its own estate garden, overseen by a trained master gardener. The award-winning Greg Norman designed Course at Wente Vineyards has achieved the designation as a "Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary" for its strong commitment to protecting wildlife, reducing chemical use, and conserving water. And the family also has undertaken a major oak lands restoration, led by Chairman and Fourth Generation Winegrower Eric Wente, where native acorns are gathered on the estate, planted to grow seedlings and protected until the trees are fully established. Pioneers since 1883 The history of Wente Vineyards dates back to the early beginnings of Californian commercial winemaking. More than 125 years ago, Carl H. Wente established his own winery in Livermore Valley and since that time his descendants have developed and expanded the family business, making it the oldest continuously family owned and operated winery in California. Today, both the Fourth Generation of the Wente family, Eric, Philip, Carolyn, and the Fifth Generation, Christine and Karl, manage the family businesses including the wineries of Wente Vineyards, Murrieta’s Well and Tamás Estates, as well as The Course at Wente Vineyards, an 18-hole Greg Norman designed golf course, The Restaurant and the Concerts at Wente Vineyards. For more information, images, or interviews with the family members, please contact Kimberly Charles at Charles Communications Associates 415|701-9463 or kcharles@charlescomm.com. # # #

June 29, 2010 Mountain View, CA –As part of its ongoing support of music, Wente Vineyards will be a part of showcasing the world’s top female artists during the re-launch of Lilith Fair, whose tour returns after 10 years to the Bay Area.  The July 5th event marks the fifth independent music sponsored event in 2010 for Wente Vineyards.   Committed to supporting and promoting independent music, fifth-generation winemaker Karl Wente created an emerging-artist program, ‘Discover the Wine, Discover the Music’ (DWDM) four years ago whereby each harvest he showcases six new artists, each paired with one of his Estate grown wines.  This year’s programming includes a Day of Discovery on the Lawn at Wente Vineyards in addition to Wente Vineyards’ support of Noise Pop, SXSW, Big Noise in the Neighborhood, MUSEXPO and now the Lilith Fair further reinforcing its commitment to original music and the artists behind the music.   Lilith Fair is dedicated to a sustainable theme while on tour and to that end, Wente Vineyards is one of eight ultra-premium, sustainable wine producers that will host a VIP tasting with artists and music executives on July 5th during the San Francisco Bay Area stop. Wente Vineyards’ participation in the Lilith Fair relaunch is a great pairing not only on the music front, but also in a shared philosophy about sustainability in all facets of life. Most recently, The Restaurant and Catering at Wente Vineyards was recognized as a Bay Area Green Business http://www.greenbiz.ca.gov/, which is an award honoring businesses for going beyond minimal compliance to environmental regulations.  Wente Vineyards has been practicing sustainability since 1883 and now is seeking certification for sustainable winegrowing as one of the participants in the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing certification (CCSW). There are only 18 wineries in that group that were part of a pilot program, which is now rolling out around the state.   http://www.sustainablewinegrowing.org/swpcertification.php Lilith Fair is an international music festival dedicated to the top female artists throughout the world.  Founded by Grammy winner Sarah McLachlan, Lilith Fair was one of the highest grossing touring festivals in the world from 1997-99, entertaining over 1.5 million fans and raising over $10 million dollars in charities. After over ten years of absence, the tour kicks off on June 27th, 2010 in Calgary, Alberta and tickets are currently on sale. Top artists for this year’s festival include Kelly Clarkson, Carly Simon, Queen Latifah, Sugarland, Mary J. Blige, Martina McBride, Norah Jones and Miranda Lambert, and of course Sarah McLachlan, to name a few. About Wente Vineyards The country’s oldest continuously operated family-owned winery; Wente Vineyards is led today by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family. More than 125 years of committed stewardship to the land has led to the development of Wente Vineyards’ Farming for the Future, a system of sustainable viticulture practices designed to produce the best quality wines with the least environmental impact. This philosophy extends to all aspects of winery operations, where energy efficiency, waste reduction, recycling and social responsibility are all integral to the culture. All of the wines within the Wente Vineyards portfolio are Estate Grown, crafted by 5th generation winemaker, Karl Wente from estate vineyards in Livermore Valley and Arroyo Seco. Located just east of San Francisco in the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards is recognized as one of California’s premier wine country destinations, featuring wine tasting, fine dining and championship golf. For more information, visit www.wentevineyards.com.

Enjoy a Special South African menu prepared by Chef Lizzie Binder in honor of her heritage and the World Cup 2010 Proceeds to Benefit Soccer Without Borders San Francisco, CA – This coming Sunday, Bar Bambino Café & Wine Bar commemorates dads with a special 4-course dinner menu inspired by both the favorite national pastime of Italy in keeping with the restaurant’s focus, as well as the classic cuisine of Chef Lizzie Binder, whose native South Africa is the site of the World Cup this year, all to benefit Soccer Without Borders. Departing from the regional Italian menu for which Bar Bambino has become well-known and loved, Chef Binder stirs the childhood memory pot with a menu that accents the French, Dutch and Indian influences that came together to shape South African cuisine.   Dishes that demonstrate this influence will be on the menu such as Cape Malay curry, a house-made curry served with lamb or vegetables and sambals (sambals are the sweet, savory, and pickled accompaniments that are stirred into the curry to the eater’s taste) and saffron rice or, yogurt cucumber soup with a cilantro mint swirl, or warm apricot malva (similar to a bread pudding) with brandy caramel sauce. “My earliest memories are of my father butchering game in our kitchen. I was fascinated and hooked from day one.  From an early age I cooked side-by-side with my Mum and Dad; I have so many strong memories of delicious dinners around my family table.  It was difficult to cull a menu of only of few of those inspirations into a menu for this special dinner. I’m so excited to cook this food for the extended Bar Bambino family,” says Binder. Bar Bambino owner Christopher Losa has a soft spot in his heart for soccer, having grown up in Germany as a military brat.   For him, Germany was soccer and soccer was Germany and he closely identified with the sport while also sub-consciously assimilating the European sensibility for seasons, regionality of food, and the focus of European life around the table that became a reality when he opened Bar Bambino to great critical acclaim three years ago. Together with Chef Binder, Losa takes a studious, curious and deliberate approach to authentically representing Italian cuisine.  “While Europe holds a soft spot in my heart for its culture, gastronomy, and viniculture, I’m excited to use this opportunity to expose more people to South African cuisine. My experiences with the country and its cuisine are memorable for its fascinating assimilation of Eastern, Western, and distinctly African flavors. It is a true fusion cuisine dating back to the 1700‘s. To combine this with an opportunity to support Soccer Without Borders is a bonus.  As a young soccer player I learned discipline, focus, and the power of teamwork. I hope we can play a small role in advancing Soccer Without Borders‘ mission to bring these attributes to less advantaged children everywhere.” Sunday’s menu is served from 5-10 PM and offers a departure and a chance for Chef Binder to share a cuisine little known to most people.   It will be four courses (starter, salad, main and a dessert), which is $55 per person or an additional $35 with wine pairings selected by Losa.  The wine pairings will be international in scope to pay tribute to the diversity of the teams playing; they will include Slovenian and Austrian white wines and Italian, French and Spanish red wines. Founded in 2006, Soccer Without Borders is a non-profit organization based in San Francisco, California. Its mission is to use soccer as a vehicle for positive change in the lives of marginalized youth within the United States and throughout the world. We work closely with community-based organizations and community leaders to create sustainable soccer and life skills programs. These programs contribute to youth development by connecting young people with caring adults and supportive peers, and by providing youth with opportunities for positive engagement. We work specifically with refugee, immigrant and indigenous youth and girls. To date, Soccer Without Borders programs have helped over 1500 children in more than 7 countries including the USA, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia. For more information about Soccer Without Borders, please visit www.soccerwithoutborders.org

 With a new dessert menu created by sweet siren Elizabeth Falkner, Chef/Owner Citizen Cake June 2010, San Francisco, CA – As part of its dedication to a menu that delights, the acclaimed Bubble Lounge San Francisco, is pleased to be kicking off an enticing new dessert menu featuring recipes from the highly touted chef and owner of Citizen Cake and Orson Restaurant, Elizabeth Falkner.  In keeping with Falkner’s signature whimsy and elements of surprise, this menu involves exotic presentations and familiar as well as more esoteric ingredients to pair perfectly with the 300 choices of champagne at The Bubble Lounge. Her philosophy will be prevalent throughout, as these desserts serve to ‘satisfy every citizen.’ This dessert menu will be available beginning Tuesday, June 15th. Champagne and dessert are not widely thought of as suitable pairing selections, and the majority of wine drinkers usually look no further than strawberries as the sweet option for champagne.  When asked about her inspiration for her desserts, Falkner states, “I wanted to create desserts that weren’t just special occasion but that were great anytime.   I love the balance of acid, sweetness and richness these desserts offer and it makes pairing with champagne really fun.  I want to wake up the palate with refreshing flavors, no overkill anywhere.” As Falkner’s menu selections satisfy the sweet tooth, Chef Brain Konopka’s savory, light-fare menu will continue to please sophisticated diners and drinkers with his well-rounded range of dishes including the Sweet Garlic Stuffed Duck "Meatballs," Crispy Crab Cakes with Parsley and Chive Remoulade, Parmesan and Fontina "Cheese Puffs" with Rosemary and Sea Salt, and the Mini Ahi Tuna Burger with Wasabi Mayo, Avocado on a toasted bun. . Elizabeth Falkner has quickly become one of the Bay Area’s most recognizable people in the culinary world.  She started the retail bakery, Citizen Cake, in 1997 as an outlet for birthday cakes, cupcakes, and dramatic evening & wedding cakes to suit all palates.  Falkner has been a frequent contestant and judge on Top Chef Masters, Top Chef, Iron Chef America, Martha Stewart Living, and more.  Her famous ‘cakeskapes’ and other crafty desserts have been featured in Food and Wine, Travel & Leisure, Condè Nast Traveler and Gourmet, to name a few. She is also owner of SOMA based restaurant, Orson, which is Michelin recommended and most recently was chosen in the SFGate’s 2010 Best of the Bay list. Spring 2010 Bubble Lounge Dessert Menu Lemon Drop Lemon Curd, yogurt, blueberry sauce, maple crunch, champagne granita Upside Down Cheesecake: A little sweet in the big city Fluffy cheesecake topped with buttery graham crust and amarena cherries Olive Oil Madeleines Olive Oil ice cream, strawberry and fennel salad with rose vinaigrette Ice Cream Sandwich Pizzelle wave cookies, chocolate sorbet, passion fruit sorbet, pistachio ice cream Dark Chocolate Pain Perdu Orange-caramel sauce and vanilla pepper chantilly About The Bubble Lounge The Bubble Lounge was established in New York City in 1996, and in San Francisco in 1998. The Bubble Lounges feature over 300 different kinds of champagnes and sparkling wines, and have become the go to glamour spot for champagne lovers.  They feature small plates of French and California cuisine, as well as this newly introduced dessert menu by star Chef Elizabeth Falkner in San Francisco and Pichet Ong in New York City. Contact: Abigail Gierke Charles Communications Associates 415.701.9463 or press@charlescomm.com

Carolyn Wente Appointed CEO and Internal Promotions Announced – Securing Strategic Vision Livermore Valley, CA – Wente Family Estates recently announced an organizational update at the 127 year-old family owned and operated company.  With a new Chief Executive Officer and company structure in place, the Wente Family Estates management team has assumed new responsibilities and titles, securing the future of the company now in its 5th generation of business.   The Board of Directors continues with the anchors of Eric, Philip and Carolyn Wente, all 4th generation family members, as well as the 5th generation of Karl and Christine Wente. Carolyn Wente, 4th generation winegrower and Vice Chair, assumes the role of Chief Executive Officer for the family business, ensuring that the internal leadership structure is firmly rooted by the voice and experience of the Wente family. With the new structure, all divisions of the mulitifaceted family company will roll up to three newly promoted Executive Vice Presidents: Arthur Jeanett, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer will oversee Finance, IT and Human Resource functions; Kevin Zollinger, Executive Vice President of Winegrowing Operations will continue his successful leadership of the winegrowing and operations teams; and Amy Hoopes, Executive Vice President of Global Sales & Chief Marketing Officer will oversee the global sales teams, retail sales and hospitality businesses.  All three Executive Vice Presidents will report directly to Carolyn Wente. Additional Changes in the Sales Organization David Kelly, formerly Vice President of Retail National Accounts, has been promoted to Senior Vice President of National Sales and will report to Hoopes.  This is a new role within the Wente Family Estates structure, which will further the growth of the company by bringing even more focused attention to key markets.  Doug Johnson joins him as Vice President of On-Premise National Accounts and Michael Parr has been appointed Vice President of International Sales as part of Hoopes’ overarching experienced sales team. With the new leadership, several additional reporting structures and management shifts have occurred, including Karl D. Wente’s promotion to Senior Vice President and the promotion of Lisa Bates to Senior Vice President of Human Resources. Maintaining her position as Senior Vice President of Hospitality, Christine Wente will have the added responsibility of direct management of the four Livermore Valley tasting rooms. About Wente Vineyards The country's oldest continuously operated family-owned winery, Wente Vineyards is led today by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family. More than 125 years of committed stewardship to the land has led to the development of Wente Vineyards’ Farming for the Future, a system of sustainable viticultural practices designed to produce the best quality wines with the least environmental impact.  The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards features Californian wine country fare, with a menu that celebrates seasonal and local ingredients, including produce sourced from Wente Vineyards’ magnificent herb and vegetable garden.  Located just east of San Francisco in the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards is recognized as one of California’s premier wine country destinations, featuring wine tasting, fine dining and championship golf. For more information, visit www.wentevineyards.com. For further information, head shots, biographies and interviews, please contact Kimberly Charles of Charles Communications Associates kcharles@charlescomm.com 415|701-9463 or Marla McLaughlin of Andrew Freeman & Company marla@afandco.com 415|781-7766.

SAN FRANCISCO – Nine California wineries, recently certified by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA), will support efforts to end childhood hunger at Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation event in San Francisco at AT&T Park on Thursday April 29.  Top restaurant chefs will join the participating wineries and mixologists to showcase the Bay Area’s outstanding wine and food.  Event and ticket information is at http://strength.org/sanfrancisco. Certified wineries participating in this year’s Taste of the Nation San Francisco event include: Clos LaChance Wines, Concannon Vineyard, Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards, Frei Brothers Winery, Goldeneye Winery, The Hess Collection, Honig Vineyard & Winery, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, and Rodney Strong Wine Estates.  The wineries will be represented together at the tasting to share information about certified sustainable winegrowing with the consumers, chefs, sommeliers and beverage directors in attendance. Charitable contributions are part of the wine industry’s commitment to social responsibility as well as environmental stewardship.  These certified wineries are reflective of the multitude of California wineries that collectively make an estimated $102 million in charitable contributions each year. CSWA, established by Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers in 2002 to promote sustainable winegrowing statewide, added its new certification to the program in January of 2010.  Open to all California wineries and vineyards as a voluntary option, Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing requires applicants to undergo a third-party audit to verify their “process of continuous improvement” in increasingly adopting sustainable winegrowing practices.  They must meet 58 prerequisite criteria to be eligible for the program, assess winery and/or vineyard operations, create and implement an annual action plan and show improvement over time.  To date, 17 companies have received the new certification for some or all of their vineyards and winery operations, and now many more wineries and vineyards are in the process of seeking certification. To date, 1,566 vineyard and winery organizations representing 68.1 percent of California’s 526,000 wine acres and 62.5 percent of the state’s 240 million case shipments have evaluated their vineyards and wineries with CSWA’s Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices Self-Assessment Workbook.  The Code serves as the basis for the new voluntary certification component of the program, and continues to serve as an educational tool for wineries and vineyards throughout the state who do not wish to pursue certification. CSWA represents the only industry worldwide to measure and publicly report on the adoption of sustainable practices.  To view its 2009 report, see: www.sustainablewinegrowing.org/sustainabilityreports.php.  To view press clips about the introduction of Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing, see:  http://www.sustainablewinegrowing.org/cswa_compilation.php. # # #

Boisset Family Estates Continues its Year-Long Fight Against Hunger;  Two Hundred Springfield Families to Receive 112,000 meals Springfield, MO – On April 21 at 12 p.m., international hunger relief organization Feed The Children will distribute a semi tractor-trailer with more than 15,000 pounds of food and personal care items at Brown Derby’s International Wine Center (2023 South Glenstone Avenue) to 200 families selected by The Kitchen of Springfield. Each box is designed to help a family for up to one week. Brown Derby and Boisset Family Estates, through its wineries DeLoach Vineyards, Lyeth Estate, French rabbit, and Oceana Riesling, are partnering with Feed The Children and The Kitchen of Springfield to help alleviate hunger in Missouri by participating in Boisset's "Fight Against Hunger" campaign. Boisset’s Fight Against Hunger is a national campaign to combat hunger in local communities through the sale of its wines. Boisset has donated more than 1 million meals to communities in Dallas, Indianapolis, Denver, Boston, and the San Francisco Bay Area in 2009-2010. With this food drop donation of 112,000 meals, Boisset’s Fight Against Hunger will surpass its goal of donating 1.2 million meals to local food banks. From July through December 2009, every bottle of wine from these Boisset wineries sold at participating retailers supplemented three meals for a family in need in the U.S.   In Missouri, Brown Derby supported and participated in Boisset’s Fight Against Hunger campaign and therefore, made this food drop possible. Brad Feuerbacher, Director of Operations for Brown Derby commented, “Recent statistics show that one in five children in Missouri are on the brink of hunger and are among the neediest and hungriest in the United States.  Brown Derby is proud to partner with Boisset Family Estates to tackle the epidemic of hunger in our community.  As a local business with a strong sense of serving the community, we hope events like these not only promote awareness of the problem of hunger but provide immediate relief to families in need.” Jean-Charles Boisset, president of Boisset Family Estates notes, “The wine world is deeply connected to the harvest, agriculture and food – great wines are complemented by great meals, and thus, as part of the world of food and wine, we find it genuinely troubling to tolerate the existence of hunger among our friends and neighbors,” says Boisset. “We know that now, more than ever, even families that have never thought to seek help before need assistance. That’s why Boisset Family Estates has committed to providing a minimum of 1.2 million meals to U.S. families in need through our partnership with Feed The Children.” For more information, visit www.boissetfamilyestates.com/fightagainsthunger. Boisset’s campaign is intended to not only provide immediate relief to local families, it further hopes to inspire the wine world to take part in its critical mission to alleviate hunger for American families in these challenging times. About Brown Derby John A. Morris opened his first liquor store, Brown Derby, in Springfield, MO in 1937.  Through the decades, Brown Derby has evolved and positioned itself as a leader in the Wine and Spirits industry.  Still a family run business, Brown Derby, prides itself in the depth of selection it provides to customers.  In its 5,000 square foot temperature and humidity controlled wine cellar, Brown Derby houses over 70,000 bottles of wine dating back to the late 1800s.  Brown Derby has 18 locations in Southwest Missouri and provides catalogue and on-line shopping services. To learn more, please visit www.brownderby.com. About Boisset Family Estates Boisset Family Estates is a family-owned producer and importer of fine wines with roots in Burgundy, France, Sonoma’s Russian River Valley and the Napa Valley.  One of the world’s leading producers of Pinot Noir, Boisset crafts fine wines with a strict terroir approach: each house in its family of wineries has a unique history, identity, and style, yet all are united in the pursuit of superior quality. Simultaneously, Boisset is an innovative leader in the wine world, seeking to reduce the environmental impact of wine packaging and production and protect the long-term sustainability of winegrowing. To learn more about Boisset, its wineries from California to France, and its Fight Against Hunger campaign, please visit www.boissetfamilyestates.com. About Feed The Children Founded in 1979, Feed The Children is consistently ranked as one of the 10 largest international charities in the U.S., based on private, non-government support. Feed The Children is a Christian, international, nonprofit relief organization with headquarters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, that delivers food, medicine, clothing and other necessities to individuals, children and families who lack these essentials due to famine, war, poverty and natural disasters. Since its founding, the organization has reached out to help those in need in the US and in 118 countries around the globe. For more information, please visit www.feedthechildren.org. About The Kitchen The mission of The Kitchen is “To create a place where persons, especially the poor, are welcomed and cared for with dignity and compassion.”  In 1983, Sister Lorraine started the Soup Kitchen and served the first meal in Springfield, MO.  Today, The Kitchen is the largest provider for of services for homeless children and families in Southwest Missouri.  The Kitchen’s Anex Food Warehouse is the receiving site for all donated food.  Seven days a week, three times a day, over 400 meals are served to residents of the Missouri Hotel, The Kitchen’s homeless shelter.  Approximately, seventy families visit the Kitchen Food Pantry five times a week where they receive grocery items.  All of this food is provided through donations.  To learn more about The Kitchen, please visit www.thekitcheninc.org. ###

with regional events throughout the summer: MUSEXPO and Big Noise in the Neighborhood San Francisco, CA – Following a successful series of events at the 2010 South by Southwest and a sponsorship at the indie music festival Noise Pop, Wente Vineyards deepens their roots for music appreciation as they prepare for another series of events this summer. This weekend in New York, fifth-generation winemaker, Karl Wente was the featured winemaker on Viewtopia: In Vino, streaming live from In Vino in New York City, with the Brooklyn based buzz band The Antlers. An artist himself, Karl Wente and Wente Vineyards are committed to providing opportunities for emerging artists to be heard while representing the essence of Wente Vineyards with their exclusive artist/wine pairings program ‘Discover the Wine, Discover the Music (DWDM).  This marks the fourth music event in 2010 for Karl Wente. Good wine, good food, good music, good people has always been Karl Wente’s credo.  His commitment to this is continuous through DWDM, which originated three years ago when Karl decided to blend his love for fine wines with good original music.   Each year or vintage, as he likes to call his line up of artists, Wente Vineyards seeks out the best new emerging artists and pairs them with different Wente Vineyards wines. The DWDM fourth vintage of emerging artists will go live in September 2010 to coincide with Day of Discovery at Wente Vineyards on Labor Day weekend. Wente Vineyards and ‘Discover the Wine, Discover the Music’ took part in a new concept at South by Southwest (SXSW) when Karl Wente participated in the first livestream of ViewTopiaSXSW — the live stream initiative for Whole Foods Markets, with home page positioning on Justin.tv.  Wente Vineyard’s ‘Discover the Wine, Discover the Music’ Wine Bus was also featured during ViewTopiaSXSW.  Wente Vineyards also recently partnered with indie/culture musical festival, Noise Pop, in San Francisco this past February. Karl Wente’s popular artist/wine pairings were exclusive for artists participating in Noise Pop. Wente Vineyard wines were featured throughout the respective venues during the festival. On April 25-28 Wente Vineyards will sponsor MUSEXPO in Los Angeles. This will be Karl Wente’s 4th appearance at MusEXPO.  He will take part on Sunday, March 25 at the evening gala and on Monday, March 26 at Gordon Ramsay’s in West Hollywood. Wente Vineyard wines will be featured during these events and throughout the event. For more information on MUSEXPO visit www.musexpo.net. Wente Vineyards will then travel to the east coast as the official wine of Wilmington, Delaware’s fundraising music festival, Bromberg's Big Noise In The Neighborhood, on Saturday, May 15th.  This festival will celebrate local musician David Bromberg, American music and will help raise money to rebuild Wilmington’s historic Queen Theatre. For more information about Big Noise in the Neighborhood or The Queen Theatre visit www.lightupthequeen.org. After over 20 years of setting the stage for renowned artists, Wente Vineyards announced their 2010 Summer Concert Series. The Fray, Huey Lewis, ZZ Top, and Earth, Wine & Fire, are just of few of the featured artists to perform this summer on Wente Vineyards natural amphitheater on the winery grounds. The Fray will be the first concert on June 17th.  Doors open at 6 pm with the music at 8:15 pm. For more information on The Concert Series, visit http://www.wentevineyards.com/concerts/. About Wente Vineyards The country’s oldest continuously operated family-owned winery; Wente Vineyards is led today by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family. More than 125 years of committed stewardship to the land has led to the development of Wente Vineyards’ Farming for the Future, a system of sustainable viticulture practices designed to produce the best quality wines with the least environmental impact. This philosophy extends to all aspects of winery operations, where energy efficiency, waste reduction, recycling and social responsibility are all integral to the culture. All of the wines within the Wente Vineyards portfolio are Estate Grown, crafted by 5th generation winemaker, Karl Wente from estate vineyards in Livermore Valley and Arroyo Seco. Located just east of San Francisco in the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards is recognized as one of California’s premier wine country destinations, featuring wine tasting, fine dining and championship golf. For more information, visit www.wentevineyards.com.

2009 Sustainable Winegrowing Progress Report Also Released SAN FRANCISCO – The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA), established by Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers, announced today the introduction of a statewide certification program that provides third-party verification of a winery or vineyard’s adherence to a "process of continuous improvement" in the adoption and implementation of sustainable winegrowing practices.  The news was shared at a morning press conference at the Merchant’s Exchange Building in San Francisco.  Open to all California wineries and vineyards as a voluntary option, CSWA’s new program, Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing, requires applicants to meet 58 prerequisite criteria to be eligible for the program,assess winery and/or vineyard operations, create and implement an annual action plan and show improvement over time. The goals of the new certification program are to enhance transparency, encourage statewide participation and advance the entire California wine industry toward best practices in environmental stewardship, conservation of natural resources and socially equitable business practices.  Three years in the making, the certification program is the first statewide program available to both wineries and vineyards. In addition, CSWA released its 2009 Wine Community Sustainability Report measuring the California wine industry’s adoption over five years of 227 best management practices from the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices Self-Assessment Workbook. “Third-party certification helps California’s wine community speed efforts to create a healthier environment, stronger communities and vibrant businesses,” said Robert P. (Bobby) Koch, Wine Institute President and CEO.  “The program reflects the California wine community’s commitment to continually produce the finest quality wine and grapes with practices that are environmentally and socially responsible.” “The scale on which California’s wine community is adopting and expanding sustainable practices is truly impressive, as the state is the fourth leading wine producer in the world,” said California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) Board Chairman Kim Ledbetter Bronson of Vino Farms in Lodi.  “CSWA’s mission is to bring recognition to the California wine industry as a change leader in the global marketplace and serve as a model for other industries.” To date, 1,566 vineyard and winery organizations representing 68.1 percent of California’s 526,000 wine acres and 62.5 percent of the state’s 240 million case shipments have evaluated their vineyards and wineries with CSWA’s Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices Self-Assessment Workbook.  Wine Institute and CAWG established the Sustainable Winegrowing Program in 2002 and incorporated CSWA a year later as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to continue implementing the program. “When you discuss sustainability within the California wine community, it is not just a statement of a program but an imbedded philosophy that we live by each and every day,” said CSWA Board Chairman Chris Savage, Senior Director of Environmental Affairs at E. & J. Gallo Winery.  “It is the commitment to this philosophy and the very positive impact it has on our businesses that will ensure the continued growth of the California wine industry long into the future.” Certification Process To be eligible for the certification program, participants meet a set of 58 prerequisites that are among the 227 best management practices in the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices Self-Assessment Workbook.  The prerequisites were established to ensure the integrity of the certification program, while the “process of continuous improvement” enables broad participation of the California wine industry and ensures progress towards increasingly sustainable practices.  The prerequisites include practices that protect air and water quality, conserve water, promote energy efficiency and reduced pesticide use, and preserve ecosystems and animal habitat, among many others.  Applicants then self-assess their winery and/or vineyard operations against the best management practices in the Code workbook and develop annual action plans and implement improvements.  CSWA offers educational workshops, resources and tools to assist wineries and growers through these various stages. The certification program then verifies a winery and/or vineyard’s assessment results through a third-party auditor.  To retain their certification, participants undergo annual audits to verify that winery/vineyard self-assessments and action plans are updated annually, and that their operations show improvement.  Onsite audits take place the first year and then every third year after that, and involve activities such as internal inspections and verification of corrective and preventative action processes. “With a majority of our industry already involved in CSWA’s Sustainable Winegrowing Program, the new certification option evolved as the appropriate next step,” said CSWA Executive Director Allison Jordan.  “Every organization is at a different point in the sustainability journey so our program allows businesses to use their own baselines to determine a set of goals based on their region, operation and other factors, and then focus their resources on the practices that will make the most difference for their company, the environment and the community, continually improving year after year.” Industry-wide Performance Metrics Being Developed While process-based certification is the approach that will be used at the launch of theprogram, CSWA is initiating a project to develop industry-wide metrics to measure and track sustainability performance.  CSWA will develop metrics for water and energy efficiency, greenhouse gas intensity, and several others to be determined in order to baseline the industry’s significant impacts and set targets for improvement.  Once the metrics are in place, they will tie into the certification program and certified participants will need to consider industry-wide targets when creating action plans.  The metrics will also focus on industry efforts around best management practice development and sustainability tool creation. Communicating Certification and Sustainability Certified participants will be able to use a logo and/or claims on company web sites, secondary marketing materials and in certified winery facilities or vineyards.  CSWA will also list certified wineries and vineyards on the CSWA web site.  Because of current eco-label protocols and discussions by both industry and government on this issue, use of logo and claims on wine bottles is not permitted at this time. Wineries and vineyards can still participate in CSWA’s Sustainable Winegrowing Program without applying for certification.  They can complete self-assessments, attend workshops and communicate that they participate in the educational Sustainable Winegrowing Program. Relationship with Other Programs CSWA is also working with other certification programs to ensure that CSWA certification is complementary with existing winegrowing certification programs and that it is cost-effective to participate in multiple programs. Certified Pilot Program Vineyard and Winery Operations Seventeen companies have received certification for some or all of their vineyard and winery operations after participating in a pilot program to test the certification requirements and offer feedback.  They are: Clos LaChance Wines; Concannon Vineyard/Concannon Winery;  Constellation Wines U.S.; Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards; Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines; Fetzer Vineyards/Bonterra Vineyards; E. & J. Gallo Winery; Goldeneye Winery; The Hess Collection; Honig Vineyard & Winery; J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines; Kunde Family Estate; Meridian Vineyards/Taz Vineyards; Monterey Pacific, Inc.; Roberts Vineyard Services; Rodney Strong Wine Estates; and Vino Farms. 2009 WINE COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY REPORT The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance also presented its 2009 Wine Community Sustainability Report at the January 13 launch event in San Francisco, indicating that most of the 2004 goals have been achieved or significant progress has been made.   For participants who have self-assessed their operations against the 227 best management practices in 14 areas from the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Self-Assessment Workbook, the 2009 report indicates that a majority of the 227 practices showed an improvement in average self-assessment scores since the 2004 report.  The strengths of the state’s industry are practices for viticulture, soil management and ecosystem management.  Areas identified as opportunities for improvement include energy efficiency, materials handling, waste reduction and environmentally preferred purchasing.  Practices receiving scores in the middle ground are vineyard water management, pest management, winery water conservation and quality, human resources, neighbors and community, and air quality. CSWA has increased participation in its Sustainable Winegrowing Program.  The 1,566 California vineyard and winery organizations in the Sustainable Winegrowing Program represent a 66 percent increase in the number of wine businesses participating since the 2004 Sustainability Report.  Since the program’s launch in 2002, it has held 200 self-assessment workshops and 184 educational events with 9,239 workshop attendees. In addition to releasing a second edition and web-based version of the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Self-Assessment Workbook in 2006 and targeted education events, CSWA has developed new resources and tools to further disseminate useful information on sustainable winegrowing practices, including the following, all of which are available online at www.sustainablewinegrowing.org. o Sustainable Winegrowing Program Web Site o Sustainable Winegrowing Highlight Newsletters o International Wine Industry Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol and Accounting Tool o Biodiversity Conservation Practices in California Vineyards: Learning from Experiences o Comprehensive Guide to Sustainable Management of Winery Water and Associated Energy o Reducing Risks through Sustainable Winegrowing: A Growers’ Guide o Vineyard Management Practices and Carbon Footprints o Understanding Adoption and Impacts of Sustainable Practices in California Vineyards The full 2009 Wine Community Sustainability Report is available online at www.sustainablewinegrowing.org/sustainabilityreports.php.  In addition, a three-minute video providing overall background on California’s sustainable winegrowing practices can be viewed and downloaded in various formats at: http://inr.mediaseed.tv/EcoWine_36816. Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers are the primary funders of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, and have received additional support from American Farmland Trust, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Natural Resource Conservation Service, USDA’s Risk Management Agency, California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The next Sustainability Report will be published in 2014. # # #

An evening of fine champagne from over twelve producers returns for 2nd anniversary March 18, 2010, San Francisco, CA – The popular Tour de Champagne will head to San Francisco for its second anniversary for what promises to be a sparkling evening highlighted by many of the Champagne region’s top wine producers. This year, Tour de Champagne will partner with The Bubble Lounge, San Francisco’s Premier Champagne Lounge, and bring together champagne from a variety of prestigious grand marques as well as grower champagne houses: cuisine from some of the city’s most talented chefs and live entertainment. During the evening, guests will have a chance to buy raffle tickets for a special prize, which will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. A portion of the ticket proceeds will also go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Ticket holders will also enjoy an Après Party with dessert, Cognac and more champagne. WHAT: Now in its fifth year, Tour de Champagne has brought its effervescent event to many cities including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, New York and Washington D.C. In each city, the event joins forces with top local restaurants and chefs to create an unmatched champagne tasting experience. The Bubble Lounge was established in New York City in 1996, and in San Francisco in 1998. The Bubble Lounges feature over 300 different kinds of champagnes and sparkling wines, and have become the go to glamour spot for champagne lovers.  They feature small plates of French and California cuisine, and both are introducing a brand new dessert menu for the spring.  The Bubble Lounge has participated in Tour de Champagne in New York and Washington DC. Restaurants participating in the last San Francisco Tour de Champagne included Farallon, Ruth’s Chris, The Bubble Lounge, and the desserts of White House Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier. This year’s culinary greats will be announced soon! Visit www.tourdechampagne.com for the most current information. Bringing chefs and sommeliers together from San Francisco’s finest restaurants promises to be the culinary treat of 2010. WHEN: Wednesday, April 7th, 2010 6 to 7 p.m. VIP pre-event Champagne seminar 7 to 9:30 p.m.  Tour de Champagne 9:30 – 11:00 Fin de Soirée –Après Party Dress – cocktail attire/black tie optional Tour de Champagne attendees must be 21 and older. Tickets: Limited Admission:  $80 All-inclusive tickets include: tasting of excellent champagnes, delicious tastes from culinary partners, entertainment and raffle. Also, Cognac après party til 11:00PM Extremely Limited VIP entrance: $95 VIP tickets also include a special pre-event Champagne seminar (TBA). WHERE: The Bubble Lounge 714 Montgomery Street San Francisco, CA   94111 WHO: Contact: Marisa Ceballos Special Events Manager - The Bubble Lounge (415) 956-6859   or, Richard Marble Tour de Champagne Founder www.tourdechampagne.com CHARITY: The Tour de Champagne San Francisco is proud to partner with the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation®.  Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.  The Foundation received 4 out of 4 stars from Charity Navigator and over 80 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to magical wish granting. ###

Austin, TX, March 11, 2010 -- Wente Vineyards continues its successful emerging artist program, ‘Discover the Wine, Discover the Music’ (DWDM) with their participation in South by Southwest (SXSW) for a third year.  SXSW is a hub for discovery and innovation in music and technology and Wente Vineyards’ significant presence at this year’s SXSW underscores the winery and winemaker Karl Wente’s commitment to bringing great music and wine to the appreciative audiences outside of traditional avenues.  It is only fitting that DWDM has a place at this convergence of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies. Each year or vintage, Wente Vineyards seeks out the best new emerging artists and pairs them with different Wente Vineyard wines. Currently, fifth-generation winemaker Karl Wente is scouting for his fourth “vintage,” as he likes to call his line up of artists. He will be spotlighting six wines from vintage three of emerging artists/wine pairings over the course of the conference starting Wednesday, March 17th through Sunday, March 21st.  Shurman, Jesse Dayton and Hopewell from DWDMs’ first two vintages will be spread across the eighty stages that take over Austin. A new paradigm will be established with respect to wine/music/technology/lifestyle converging when Wente Vineyards participates in ViewTopia: SXSW – a Whole Foods Market (WFM) livestream initiative and the first live event stream for any major food & beverage retailer.  The livestream will be broadcast across the digital universe with homepage positioning on Justin.tv, as well as Blip.fm, and on a large format plasma screen in front of WFM in Lincoln Park, Ill.  Not possible in any other medium, this precedent-setting platform will deliver real time event coverage of SXSW and enable users to actively participate from anywhere in the world.  The New Mastersounds, a band from DWDM’s current vintage, will be streaming through on Blip.fm during the livestream. BAMM, Viewtopia’s broadcast partner on Justin.tv/SXSW coverage, will broadcast from the Convention Center and will be pouring Wente Vineyard wines from 12:00-6:00 pm, Wednesday through Friday.  Expect to taste the RiverBank Riesling, Nth Degree Syrah, Small Lot Pinot Blanc, Riva Ranch Chardonnay, Southern Hills Cabernet and Crane Ridge Merlot. Karl Wente will drop in on Wednesday, March 17th from 2-3. Wente Vineyards wines will also be featured across the Rockstar Weekend @ Jimmy Thrill Quills Ranch at Red Horse Studios on March 20th and 21st.  To finish off the SXSW week, Wente Vineyards wines will be included in the cooking segments, Music on the Menu. Back by popular demand is the DWDM Wine Bus Thursday, March 18th and Friday March 19th from noon-3 pm. On Thursday, this party on wheels segues from the Convention Center to the Whole Foods Market Gateway (WFM) located at 9607 Research Blvd with live performances by The Ferocious Few, Glenn Yoder and Todd Thibaud at noon. At 3 pm the wine bus will stop midway at Cork & Co (308 Congress Ave) for live performances by Fierce Bad Rabbit, Family of the Year, Ian Hopkinson and an interview with Erin Davis/Vince Wilburn.  Friday at noon, the bus will feature live performances at WFM by Gemma Ray, The Orion Experience and Susan Hyatt’s Rockstar Workout.  The bus then moves to the Sweet Relief Benefit at Jovita’s (1619 S. 1st Ave) with live performances by Steve Poltz, Mumiy Troll, Bluebonnets, Victoria Williams and Michael Des Barres.  Wente Vineyards will highlight four wines for this portion of SXSW: The Riva Ranch Chardonnay, Riverbank Riesling, Southern Hills Cabernet and Crane Ridge Merlot. Enjoying recent success in a second year with Noise Pop indie music festival out of San Francisco, Discover the Wine, Discover the Music originated three years ago when fifth-generation winemaker Karl Wente decided to blend his love for fine wines with good original music. The DWDM fourth vintage of emerging artists will go live in September 2010 to coincide with Day of Discovery at Wente Vineyards on Labor Day. On April 11 Karl Wente will be the featured winemaker on Viewtopia: In Vino, streaming live from In Vino in New York City, with buzz band The Antlers. An artist himself, Karl Wente and Wente Vineyards are committed to providing opportunities for these artists to be heard while representing the essence of Wente Vineyards with their exclusive pairings. About Wente Vineyards The country's oldest continuously operated family-owned winery; Wente Vineyards is led today by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family. More than 125 years of committed stewardship to the land has led to the development of Wente Vineyards’ Farming for the Future, a system of sustainable viticulture practices designed to produce the best quality wines with the least environmental impact. This philosophy extends to all aspects of winery operations, where energy efficiency, waste reduction, recycling and social responsibility are all integral to the culture. All of the wines within the Wente Vineyards portfolio are Estate Grown, crafted by 5th generation winemaker, Karl Wente from estate vineyards in Livermore Valley and Arroyo Seco. Located just east of San Francisco in the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards is recognized as one of California’s premier wine country destinations, featuring wine tasting, fine dining and championship golf. For more information, visit www.wentevineyards.com.

Sonoma Wine Company Signs Contract with Winery Exchange and Adds New Services GRATON, CA, March 1, 2010--Sonoma Wine Company (SWC), a leader in contract wine production, today announced the signing of a long-term winery services contract with Winery Exchange and the addition of several new service offerings. Winery Exchange, a Novato-based firm, is a global supplier of private label wine, beer and spirits brands for retailers such as Costco, Tesco, Supervalu, Kroger and Sainsbury. Producing over 3 million cases worldwide in 2009, Winery Exchange has partnered with Sonoma Wine Company for the past 7 years. Dennis Carroll, President of Sonoma Wine Company commented, “We are pleased to continue our long relationship with Winery Exchange, and look forward to many more successful years for both Winery Exchange and Sonoma Wine Company.” In addition to the crush, storage and bottling services that Sonoma Wine Company offers at six facilities throughout Northern California, SWC recently expanded its offerings to include Bag in the Box and keg wines. "Our goal has always been to provide high-quality, cost-effective winemaking services for our partners -- which are even more critical in today's climate. Adding Bag in the Box and kegging demonstrates our commitment to servicing our customers’ requirements as well as keeping current with market demand," stated Carroll. About Sonoma Wine Company Sonoma Wine Company provides unparalleled grape-to-bottle winemaking capabilities in Northern California.  Custom winery services include, crush-to-bottle, tank and barrel storage and services, and case goods warehousing to existing wineries and virtual wineries. The facilities produce more than four million cases of wine annually for 30 clients. Over the past few years, Sonoma Wine Company's Graton facility has been recognized by the EPA and other organizations for its energy efficiency, water conservation and environmentally conscious winemaking operations. Sonoma Wine Company has been an EPA Climate Leader since 2005, establishing a greenhouse gas inventory baseline, and became an accredited Sonoma County Green Business in 2008.

A fresh lineup calls for fresh juice February 24, 2010, San Francisco, CA – WENTE Vineyards continues its mission to entice the senses for a second year of indie culture festival/Noise Pop partnership. As with the popularity of his handcrafted wines, fifth-generation winemaker Karl Wente’s keenness for good original music proves contagious. Wente’s involvement evolved from his commitment to his ‘Discover the Wine, Discover the Music’ (DWDM) program, www.wentevineyards.com/discover. Each year, or vintage as he likes to call his new discovery series, Wente seeks out the best new emerging artists.  A great highlight to this year’s Noise Pop program will be the wine and music pairings, culled by Karl Wente and friends, at the Swedish American Hall, Friday and Saturday evenings. The first artist/wine pairings are set to drop at the Swedish American Music Hall with exclusives for John Vanderslice and THAO NGUYEN /MIRAH, Friday February 26th and Saturday February 27th, respectively. Wente Vineyard wines will host the Industry Noise Conference cocktail party and Pop n’ Shop at The Verdi Club on Saturday, February 27th. Festivities continue throughout the festival nightly with Wente Vineyard wines for Happy Hour at Bender’s, starting Tuesday, February 23rd. Additionally, Wente Vineyards will sponsor the Noise Pop Film Festival reception on Thursday, February 25th from 5:30-7:15pm at the Viz Cinema. Karl Wente was interviewed for one of the widely anticipated documentaries, Blood Into Wine, which airs following the reception. Wente Vineyards and ‘Discover the Wine, Discover the Music’ will take part in a cool new concept at South by Southwest (SXSW) when Karl Wente participates in the first livestream of ViewTopiaSXSW -- the live stream initiative for Whole Foods Markets, with home page positioning on Justin.tv.  Wente Vineyard’s ‘Discover the Wine, Discover the Music’ Wine Bus will be featured during ViewTopiaSXSW on Thursday, March 18th and Friday, March 19th. This party on wheels offers free rides, wine tastings and live music. The ties between Wente Vineyards and music appreciation at all levels have deep roots.  Celebrating over 20 years of its popular concert series with renowned established artists such as Sheryl Crow, Diana Krall, Elvis Costello, on its estate in Livermore, California, events such as Noise Pop and SXSW represent an opportunity to tap in to the exciting emerging music scene. Noise Pop, like Wente, understands that the celebration of music and art is important in life. Starting in 1993, the festival will turn eighteen this year.  Noise Pop has become world-renowned but more importantly, given emerging artists a chance to be heard. Artists who have appeared and gone on to widespread acclaim include: The White Stripes, Modest Mouse, The Flaming Lips, Death Cab for Cutie, and many, many more. For more information on Noise Pop, please visit www.noisepop.com 2010 Noise Pop Artist/Wine Pairings are as follows: John Vanderslice/Crane Ridge Merlot Nurses/Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Honeycomb/Riva Ranch Chardonnay Conspiracy of Venus/ Riverbank Riesling THAO NGUYEN/Small Lot Pinot Blanc MIRAH/Crane Ridge Merlot House Feathers/ Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Dave Smallen/Small Lot Pinot Blanc Karleta Sue Kay/ Morning Fog Chardonnay About Wente Vineyards The country's oldest continuously operated family-owned winery; Wente Vineyards is led today by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family. More than 125 years of committed stewardship to the land has led to the development of Wente Vineyards’ Farming for the Future, a system of sustainable viticulture practices designed to produce the best quality wines with the least environmental impact. This philosophy extends to all aspects of winery operations, where energy efficiency, waste reduction, recycling and social responsibility are all integral to the culture. All of the wines within the Wente Vineyards portfolio are Estate Grown, crafted by 5th generation winemaker, Karl Wente from estate vineyards in Livermore Valley and Arroyo Seco. Located just east of San Francisco in the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards is recognized as one of California’s premier wine country destinations, featuring wine tasting, fine dining and championship golf. For more information, visit www.wentevineyards.com.