Press Contact: Sandi Martini-Coero, (888) 977-7737

WIMBLEDON WINE COMPANY LAUNCHED

Napa, California — “In today’s highly competitive and growing wine market, a need has evolved for companies providing high-touch, customized sales and marketing services that truly recognize and value the unique needs of Northern California wineries,” says William Leigon, President and Founder of the Wimbledon Wine Company. Under Leigon’s guidance, The Wimbledon Wine Company plans to fill that void and more by expanding its scope of operations to become a premier, full-service national sales and marketing company representing premium and ultra-premium Northern California wineries. The Wimbledon Wine Company offers wineries ‘one-stop shopping’ for all of their sales and marketing needs, wineries also have the ability to choose from a wide variety of options that match the specific needs of their wine brands. Winery services include: strategic sales and marketing plan development; distributor, broker and key account contact and sales management; product and package design development; point-of-sale and marketing collateral; invoicing and collections; management of federal and state compliance requirements, and providing a broad range of marketing and public relations services.

The Wimbledon Wine Company’s portfolio of Northern California brands now includes Leigon’s own brand, Huntington Wine Cellars; Sonoma County’s historic Martini & Prati Winery; and Hahn Estates and Smith & Hook from the Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey County. The intent of the Wimbledon Wine company is to ultimately represent 6-10 major wine brands in the super premium, ultra-premium, and estate-bottled luxury categories. Eventually Wimbledon plans to add luxury wines from outside of Northern California, including select imported estate wines from Burgundy, Chile, and other desirable wine regions from around the world.

Wimbledon is beginning with a dynamic management team with over eighty years combined wine industry experience. Leigon himself brings over twenty years diverse industry wisdom to this new venture. Highlights of Leigon’s career have included Co-Founder and Managing Partner of The Wine Trust; Co-Founder of Ariel Vineyards, and most recently, Vice President of Sales and Marketing of Associated Vintage Group. The balance of Leigon’s team includes: Steve Cairns-Vice President/Operations; Carl Grant - Western Regional Sales & Marketing Manager; Richard Morgenstern - Eastern Regional Sales & Marketing Manager; and Sandra Martini-Coero - Public Relations and Marketing Manager.

The preeminent goal for the Wimbledon Wine Company is to become recognized as one of the finest sales and marketing companies in the United States. Wimbledon now works with over 100 distributors, has established contacts in all 50 states, and has relationships with all the major internet wine sales sites and direct mail operations. In addition, the company is in the process of implementing innovative programs to augment their sales efforts. Plans are already underway for a comprehensive web site offering business to business marketing tools and consumer direct sales (www.wimbledonwine.com); a unique food and wine pairing program utilizing the creative talents of one of Sonoma County’s best-known chefs; and the addition of regional managers to assist with sales in several target markets. “Innovation and technology aside,” Leigon says, “the most important key to Wimbledon’s ultimate success will be experience combined with unparalleled customer service.”