For Immediate Release:

Grand Cru Estates Creates Exclusive "Barrel-Size" Winery For Wine Club Members

Club Members partner with veteran Oregon winemakers Laurent Montalieu and Tony Rynders to produce ultra-premium Pinot Noir.

PORTLAND, Oregon (July 23, 2008) - Many wine enthusiasts dream of owning their own winery, but few can afford the time or financial commitment. Now, with the launch of Grand Cru Estates in Oregon's Willamette Valley, individuals can create their own barrel of ultra-premium Pinot Noir to match their personal palate - and leave all or some of the work up to a team of award-winning Oregon vintners. The 13,000 square-foot winemaking facility will break ground in July 2008 in the Yamhill Carlton AVA. Partners Domaine Danielle Laurent and Bailey Estate Vineyards have created Grand Cru Estates, an exclusive winemaking club that offers equal parts prestige with hands-on winemaking opportunities. "We want club members to work alongside us in the vineyard and in our winemaking facility or simply enjoy their custom-made wine at home," says Laurent Montalieu.

Handcrafted Premium Pinot Noir

Members of Grand Cru Estates choose their level of involvement as they create a barrel (25 cases) of their own premium Pinot Noir. Each membership allows exclusive interaction with the winemaking team both in the vineyard and in the winery. "This is a great opportunity for wine lovers to participate in the entire process from selecting a vineyard site and participating in harvest to producing a custom label design," says Montalieu. "We are available to help our members in whatever capacity they envision. Some members may let us do all the work and simply put their name on the label and others may want to be part of the entire process." Club membership is available immediately beginning with the 2008 fall harvest with an initial membership fee of $5,000 for the first 30 founding members, along with a $20,000 fee for each member barrel. For more information on membership, please visit www.thegrandcruestates.com. Exclusive member benefits include:

• Partnership with premier winemakers to produce custom Pinot noir
• Educational winemaking seminars with international wine professionals
• Personal access to the winery for private events and personal concierge service.
• Culinary winemaker dinners and events with consulting chef Philippe Boulot, Heathman Restaurant, Portland and nationally recognized guest chefs.
• Biodynamic garden for member use
• Access to designated vineyard sites

Premium Winemaking Team

To ensure production of premium Pinot Noir, Grand Cru Estates has contracted the winemaking services of Tony Rynders to assist Laurent Montalieu in the winemaking endeavor. Montalieu and his wife Danielle Andrus Montalieu, proprietors of Domaine Danielle Laurent, have been in the winemaking industry for three decades and are also proprietors of Solena Cellars and co-proprietors of NW Wine Company, NW Wine Bar and Hyland Vineyards. They have been active on many boards to promote the Oregon wine industry, including Oregon Pinot Camp, Salud and the International Pinot Noir Celebration. Tony Rynders produced some of Oregon's most impressive premium Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays as the former winemaker at Domaine Serene for the past ten years. Partners Steve and Marian Bailey will bring their business expertise to the project. The couple's 26-acre estate, Bailey Estate Vineyards, produces small lot premium wine grapes in the Chehalem Mountains AVA.

Eco-Friendly Design Features Solar Power and Green roof

The Grand Cru Estates winemaking facility will include eco-friendly features like solar power and a green roof, as well as a professional kitchen with design consultation by Philippe Boulot (executive chef, Heathman Restaurant), biodynamic kitchen garden and state-of-the-art winemaking and storage facilities. Richard Brown designed the winery concept and will partner with the building team of Pat O'Brien Construction, whose past Oregon projects included Domaine Drouhin and Penner Ash Winery.