Paterno Expands Portfolio with Celebrated South African Wines

09/01/07 William A. Terlato, President and Chief Executive Officer of Paterno Wines International, announced an exclusive, long-term marketing agreement with wine producers Jean Engelbrecht and Ernie Els, adding five premium South African brands to Paterno's luxury portfolio: Rust en Vrede, Ernie Els Wines, Engelbrecht Els Vineyards, Cirrus and Guardian Peak.

Els, one of the world's top professional golfers, and Engelbrecht, a forerunner in the new generation of South African wine producers, are longtime friends who teamed up to create a portfolio of premium South African red wines in 1999. With help from skilled head winemaker Louis Strydom, they impressed critics around the world with a stunning collection of brands that expresses their passion for Bordeaux varieties and Shiraz.

"We are delighted to enrich our portfolio with this remarkable collection of internationally acclaimed South African wines," said Terlato. "Ernie and Jean are driven by an unwavering passion for innovation and quality. With vision and determination they have crafted a set of amazing red wines that capture the unique South African terroir."

Nestled among 200-year-old oaks and surrounded by rugged mountains, the Engelbrecht family's historic Cape Dutch estate, Rust en Vrede, was the first in the Stellenbosch region to specialize in the exclusive production of premium red varieties. With its expertise in full-bodied, oak-matured wines -- including Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot and a signature blend -- Rust en Vrede has garnered 90+ ratings from Wine Spectator, Robert Parker and others for more than a decade, and is the only South African winery repeatedly included among Wine Spectator's Top 100 wineries.

Engelbrecht and Els launched their first collaboration, Engelbrecht Els Vineyards, with a bold Bordeaux blend created by winemaker Strydom at Rust en Vrede. Five years later, in 2004, they opened the Ernie Els Winery on a nearby Helderberg Mountain slope. At the new winery, the team produces their original Bordeaux blend under the Ernie Els Stellenbosch label and under the Engelbrecht Els Vineyards label, a proprietors' blend created to celebrate their distinct palates -- Ernie preferring Bordeaux-style wines and Jean favoring Shiraz. Wine Spectator has awarded 90+ ratings to the past four consecutive vintages of the Ernie Els blend.

The partners' desire to create a series of South African red wines accessible in both style and price provided the inspiration for their Guardian Peak Winery, which is named for the highest peak on Stellenbosch Mountain. The winery opened in December 2005 with two distinctive red blends, Guardian Peak Frontier (Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz/Merlot) and Guardian Peak SMG (Syrah/Mourvedre/Grenache), and two single varietal wines, Guardian Peak Shiraz and Guardian Peak Merlot.

Cirrus Wines began as collaboration between Jean Engelbrecht and Ray Duncan, a proprietor of Napa's iconic Silver Oak Cellars. United by a fierce passion for premium red wine, Engelbrecht and Duncan set out to produce a single, quintessential South African Syrah. Their stunning 2003 inaugural vintage garnered rave reviews, including a 90+ rating from Wine Spectator. In 2004 Els joined the venture, and today Cirrus Winery is positioned for continued success with the release of its 2004 vintage, which Engelbrecht describes as "the essence of a Rhone and South African-style Syrah."

"The Terlato family is the perfect U.S. partner for our group. Ernie and I are singularly dedicated to crafting distinctive, premium wines and the Terlatos' portfolio features an unrivaled collection of the world's greatest wines," said Engelbrecht. "Paterno has the skill, energy and expertise to market our collection in the United States. We look forward to a long relationship with them and to bringing the best of South Africa to America."