Beam Wine Estates and Lion Nathan Wine Group Announce U.S. Alliance.

HEALDSBURG, Calif. -- Beam Wine Estates, a leading super-premium U.S. wine company, and Lion Nathan Wine Group, one of Australia's leading fine wine companies, today announced that they have entered into an agreement by which Beam Wine Estates will market and distribute Lion Nathan Wine Group's super- and ultra-premium Australian and New Zealand wine brands in the United States. The Lion Nathan Wine Group portfolio includes such iconic brands as St Hallett, Petaluma and Wither Hills, all distinctive, appellation-focused brands with reputations for superb quality and critical success.

The alliance strategically complements Beam Wine Estates' award-winning portfolio of super- and ultra-premium California wine brands, and allows Lion Nathan Wine Group (LNWG) to align itself in the U.S. market with a fine wine marketing, sales and distribution powerhouse. "Beam Wine Estates' access to U.S. distribution and retail channels, proven expertise in building fine wine brands and exceptional understanding of the super-premium wine market make them a natural partner for Lion Nathan Wine Group," said Peter Cowan, managing director of LNWG.

The agreement expands Beam Wine Estates' (BWE) role in the global, super-premium wine category and gives BWE entry into high-growth, prestigious categories, such as Marlborough, the Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and McLaren Vale.

"The Lion Nathan Wine Group's Australian and New Zealand brands make a terrific strategic fit for Beam Wine Estates," commented Bill Newlands, president of BWE. "Both Beam Wine Estates and Lion Nathan Wine Group are focused on building iconic, quality- and terroir-driven brands from premiere New World appellations."

"In addition," notes Newlands, "at the super-premium end of the market, which is where our business is focused, Australian and New Zealand fine wine imports are up 16% and 96% respectively over the last year. The combination of strong product quality, strong category growth and a strong route to market is a winning proposition."

Super-Premium Category Leadership

The addition of the Lion Nathan wine brands to the BWE portfolio expands BWE's leading positions at the super-premium price point in key varietals:

--Sauvignon Blanc: Addition of Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc complements BWE's exceptional Sauvignon Blanc portfolio, which includes Geyser Peak(R), the fastest-growing domestic Sauvignon Blanc at $9 and above, Wattle Creek(R), Clos du Bois(R) and Gary Farrell(R) Sauvignon Blancs.

--Pinot Noir: Acclaimed Stonier and Wither Hills Pinot Noir complements BWE's stellar California Pinot portfolio, led by Gary Farrell, Wild Horse(R), Buena Vista Carneros(TM) and Clos du Bois(R).

--Chardonnay: Renowned Petaluma and Stonier Chardonnays will round out leading U.S. portfolio, founded on Clos du Bois(R), the #2 U.S. super-premium Chardonnay, complemented by Buena Vista Carneros(TM), Geyser Peak(R), Wild Horse(R) and Gary Farrell(R) offerings.

Further, the addition of Petaluma and Knappstein handpicked and single-vineyard Rieslings adds premiere brands in this growing category to the portfolio. BWE also gains entry into Australia's leading appellation for luxury Shiraz, the Barossa Valley, with St Hallett Shiraz.

Quality and Leadership

"The quality of these wines is exemplary," commented Evan Goldstein, Master Sommelier and Beam Wine Estates vice president of global brand education. "Lion Nathan Wine Group has built a portfolio of brands, including Petaluma, St Hallett and Wither Hills, that are benchmark wineries in their appellations, with a track record of consistent quality."

The Lion Nathan portfolio of Australia and New Zealand brands includes Petaluma, St Hallett, Stonier, Knappstein, Mitchelton, Tatachilla and Wither Hills. The brands will transition to the Beam Wine Estates portfolio in September 2006.

About Beam Wine Estates, Inc.

Beam Wine Estates, Inc. is a fine wine and spirit company whose portfolio consists of leading wineries and brands from California's most prominent wine regions, as well as fortified wines from Europe. California brands include Clos du Bois(R) and Geyser Peak(R), in Sonoma County's Alexander Valley; Wild Horse(R), in the Central Coast; Gary Farrell(R) from the Russian River Valley; Buena Vista Carneros(TM); Atlas Peak(R) and William Hill Estate(TM) in Napa; Haywood(R) and Canyon Road(R); as well as Jakes Fault(R) Shiraz and XYZin(R) ultra-premium Zinfandels. The company owns and markets Harveys Bristol Cream(R), from Spain, is the worldwide distribution agent for Cockburn's(R) ports and is the U.S. distribution agent for Wattle Creek Winery and Roth Vodka(TM). Beam Wine Estates, Inc. is the wine group of Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc., a subsidiary of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE:FO), the consumer products company.

About Lion Nathan Wine Group

The Lion Nathan Wine Group produces some of Australasia's finest wines from its wineries in South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia and New Zealand. It also owns the Argyle Winery in Oregon, U.S.A. With the formation of Fine Wine Partners in Australia, the company distributes wines from a wider Australian and New Zealand geography as well as from renowned wine regions in France, Italy and South Africa. For the six months ended 31 March 2006, the Company distributed 721,000 nine litre cases of fine wine.