WOW Local Event: A Special Note from Gary on the Chilean Relief Effort and How We Can Help

Chilean Relief Effort Promotion Extended Through APRIL
With a Special Offer on Odfjell Armador Carmenere

MARCH 30, 2010 -- Thanks to you, our effort to support Chilean earthquake relief through sales of Chilean wine in the month of March has been a huge success. Sales of Chilean wines have been up over 10%, and in the past month we've already reached over $3700 in donations! To keep the momentum going, we've decided to extend this effort and promotion through the month of April. For every case of Chilean wine sold, we'll continue to donate at least $5/cs to Earthquake Relief in Chile. Haven't tried a wine from one of the greatest-value regions in the world recently? Here's one to get you started

2008 Odfjell Vineyards Carmenere Armador Maule Valley
$8.99 on sale ($11.99 regular price)

It's been a while since we tasted a Carmenere, and for that matter any bold red wine, of this quality under $10. Odfjell over-delivers with this savory-sweet fruited wine from Chile's signature red grape ... but if you won't take our word for it, check out the comments of the notoriously tough-to-please wine critic Stephen Tanzer.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: 90 points
"Inky ruby. Seductively perfumed aromas of wild strawberry, raspberry, potpourri and musky underbrush. Silky in texture, with sweet red berry and candied floral flavors, smoky minerality and slow-building spiciness. Fresh and graceful wine with very good finishing clarity, sweetness and cut."

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MARCH 1, 2010 -- As the catastrophic effects of the earthquake in Chile continue to unfold, we're finding many of our friends and colleagues in the Chilean wine industry in need of assistance. Many of you know the wine business is a very important employer in the earthquake affected area.

Wine, after copper, is the second largest industry in Chile. Approximately 70% of the country's vineyards are in the area struck by the quake. Initial estimates are at 14 million cases of wine lost and are still being assessed, with damages of about $250 million.

This devastating blow to our partners and friends in Chile has motivated us to want to help. So for the month of March, we're encouraging our friends and customers to join us in this effort by buying Chilean wine. From now through March 31, we will contribute a minimum of $5.00 per case of Chilean wine sold in our stores to relief efforts in Chile. And as our distributors and winery partners join in on the effort, we hope to identify specific wines for which we can donate even more. The first of these partners is Veramonte; we're proud to announce that with their matching pledge, together we will donate $100 per case of Veramonte Primus sold to the relief effort.

We are still in the process of identifying the charities that will best distribute our contributions, but wanted to get this effort rolling as soon as possible. Check back on our website for more details soon, and in the meantime, help us support Chile by supporting their wine industry.

Cheers,

Gary

2006 Veramonte Primus Colchagua Valley

Price: $17.09 ON SALE! Reg: $25.99

36% cabernet sauvignon, 31% syrah, 17% merlot and 16% carmenere) Inky ruby. Fresh red and dark berries on the nose. Lively raspberry and blackcurrant flavors are firmed by tangy minerals and given depth by dark chocolate, picking up fine-grained tannins with air. A refreshingly pure blend, with very good finishing cut and persistence.

Stephen Tanzer's Int'l Wine Cellar 89 points

 UPDATE: $10 per case to Earthquake Relief on Cousino Macul Products