Billington Wines and Yealands Estate Winery Sign Distribution Agreement

PRINGFIELD, Va. - (GrapeVineTrail.com) Adding another environmentally focused winery to their portfolio, Billington Wines has signed an exclusive agreement to import the Yealands Estate wines of Marlborough, New Zealand into the United States.

Founded in 2002 by Peter Yealands and his family, Yealands Estate is New Zealand’s premier sustainable wine producer and the largest privately held winery in that country. In short order, Peter Yealands has become a tireless advocate for sustainable wine production on a scalable level; an undertaking that has caught the business world’s attention as many companies look to become more environmentally friendly in their operations.

The winery was built to achieve a 5+ star rating by the NZ Green Building Council and is striving for a 6 Star rating signifying “world leadership”. The winery is in the final stage of being certified CarboNZero and a certified NZ Sustainable Wine Producer. Currently generating a percentage of power from solar energy and wind turbine power, Peter hopes the estate will one day become completely self-sufficient in terms of energy use. In addition, the winery practices recycling of all winery byproducts and uses recycled goods in product packaging. They also utilize both organic and low-impact measures in the vineyards.

In search of a distribution partner in the United States Peter Yealands felt it was imperative to find a company that shared his same values and “can do” spirit. “We are thrilled to partner with Billington Wines in the U.S. Both businesses share much in common: family values, an absolute commitment to quality and a willingness to innovate. We look forward to a long and prosperous relationship with the Billington team.”

Billington Wines was founded in Springfield, Virginia by Alfredo Bartholomaus in 1985, when he began importing Cousiño-Macul from his native country Chile. Today the company is led by Alfredo’s son, Alex Bartholomaus, and is highly regarded as a premium wine importer with an innate ability to provide platinum rule service and turn their wine brands into household names. Along with several wineries, Billington Wines introduced Bodega Catena Zapata, Cousiño-Macul and Big Tattoo wines to the U.S. and owns Havens Wine Cellars in Napa Valley.

“We are excited to work with Peter Yealands, a visionary producer who is as committed to the environment as he is to making great wines,” says Alex Bartholomaus, Billington Wines CEO. Yealands Estate will enter the U.S. market in Spring 2009 with their Yealands Sauvignon Blanc, Yealands Estate Sauvignon Blanc, and Yealands Pinot Noir; offering consumers a greater choice of eco-friendly wines of excellent quality and value.

Billington Wines is a family-owned importer, marketer and producer of fine wines from around the world. Founded in 1985, Billington prides itself in pristine customer service, superior quality products and wines offering an unbeatable value in quality and price. For more information about the Billington Wines portfolio, visit www.billingtonwines.com

For direct access to the Yealands website, please visit www.yealands.co.nz

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Billington Wines/Yealands Estate
Meghan Snyder, Marketing and Communications Manager
703-752-1335
Meghan.s@billingtonwines.com