American Vintners Association Elects Chalone Wine Group's Phil Woodward as Chairman.

Business Editors/Food & Beverage Writers

NAPA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 25, 2002

The American Vintners Association has elected Phil Woodward, Co-Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Chalone Wine Group (Nasdaq: CHLN), as its Chairman during its 24th Annual Meeting.

"AVA promotes and supports the American wine industry and that's a goal I've supported for thirty years," said Woodward. "We plan to stay the course on direct shipping to consumers and work on legislation, wine labeling and taxation issues that affect all our members."

With more than 30 years of experience, Woodward has an in-depth understanding of issues facing the United States wine industry. He founded Chalone Wine Group with winemaker Richard (Dick) Graff in 1972. Under Woodward's leadership, Chalone Wine Group was the first fine wine company to go public in 1984 and in 1989 the company formed a partnership with Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite). It was the first California wine company to invest in Washington State when it launched Canoe Ridge Vineyard in 1990. Today, Chalone Wine Group is a collection of semi-autonomous wine estates and vineyards, each in a distinctive place that produces wines that reflect their unique sites.

Woodward stepped down from CWG chairmanship to focus his energies on The Chalone Wine Foundation, a separate nonprofit corporation he began in 1997 as a way to give back to the industry and to the communities in which Chalone Wine Group has wineries. When co-founder Richard Graff died in a private plane crash in 1998, Woodward also established the Richard H. Graff Scholarship Fund to help entry-level students who want to build a career in the food and wine industry.

Chalone Wine Group, Ltd. is a Napa-based company specializing in premium red and white varietal wines. In California, the Company owns and operates Chalone Vineyard(R) in Monterey County, Moon Mountain Vineyards, Carmenet(R) Vineyards, and Dynamite Vineyards in Sonoma County; Acacia(TM) Winery in the Carneros District of Napa County, and Provenance Vineyards(TM), Hewitt Vineyard and Jade Mountain in Napa County. In conjunction with its 50 percent joint-venture partner, Paragon Vineyard Co., the Company also owns and operates Edna Valley Vineyard(R) in San Luis Obispo County. Additionally, the Company produces and markets wines of Central Coast appellation under the brand name Echelon Vineyards. In Washington State, the Company owns and operates Sagelands Vineyard(TM) and Canoe Ridge Vineyard(R). In the Bordeaux region of France, the Company owns 23.5 percent of the fourth-growth estate of Chateau Duhart-Milon, in partnership with Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) which owns the other 76.5 percent.