What's New: Distribution

Abacela is welcomed into the Northwest Core portfolio

October 2008

Finding the right fit of wine and personality when expanding the portfolio is challenging. The newest addition to the NW Core portfolio, Abacela, is great on both sides.

Earl and Hilda Jones picked their site in Southern Oregon carefully, finding the perfect landscape and temperature to grow the Spanish varietals they are so passionate about. Just talking to these two, you know they are truly in the wine business for a love of the region, the grapes they grow and the wines they bottle.

Abacela has been focusing on Iberian varietals in southern Oregon for years - they may even have bottled the first domestic Tempranillo! In addition to their big, intense Tempranillos, they produce a fresh, crisp Albarino and a truly delicious Port for national distribution. The ultimate objective is to produce wines that are a statement of the harmony between the grape variety and its terroir.

A to Z Purchases Rex Hill-Ltr to Distributors

Feb 29, 2007

New Year's Greetings,

As you have likely heard, Paul Hart and Jan Jacobsen sold Rex Hill Vineyards and Winery to A to Z Wineworks. We closed on the last business day of 2006, and now it is official. A to Z Wineworks was founded in 2002 by partners Bill and Debra Hatcher, Sam Tannahill and Cheryl Francis who collectively bring decades of Oregon winery experience to this project. A to Z has been Oregon's fastest growing winery and our combined production with Rex Hill will exceed 150,000 cases this year.

We believe that Rex Hill's exceptional wines complement A to Z's value-priced offerings. The winery, a former fruit and nut-drying plant from the 1920's, is highly flexible permitting the simultaneous production of the larger quantities of A to Z alongside the more limited Rex Hill offerings and the small-production Hatcher and Francis Tannahill labels. In addition to the 53 acres of estate vineyards, Rex Hill contributes many contracted vineyards to A to Z's already established agreements. Collectively the vineyards under contract are among the oldest and most select in Yamhill County. In bringing all these vineyards together, we can select and hone the very best for the Rex Hill Reserve wines as we already do for our handcrafted family brands. Moreover, we will be able to further refine Rex Hill wines with A to Z's capacity to absorb blending components. In fact, all four brands should benefit from the focused production and selective possibilities.

We will be looking at each market and to determine what makes the most sense for all of our now extended family. We want to learn what your strategy for selling Rex Hill is and in general how you promote Oregon wines. We are excited about the possibilities of our new alliance.

And lastly, we would like to introduce you to Northwest Core Collection. This young company has grown with A to Z and we have retained them to be Rex Hill's national sales force, as well. I trust you will find them professional, personable and a dream to work with. They will be contacting you soon to discuss the plans and goals for the year as well as find out how Rex Hill has been doing in your market.

In the meantime, we are here to answer your questions and keep business running "as usual." Effective January 15th, please fax all orders to Northwest Core Collection at (503) 597- 0022 or e-mail amy@nwcorecollection.com. You will continue to be invoiced by the winery, and all payments will be made directly to them.

Best regards,

A to Z Wineworks

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