Big Tattoo Wines Celebrates Raising $1 Million for Charity.

SPRINGFIELD, Va. -- A small project begun to raise money for a good cause and honor a remarkable woman has reached a significant milestone and blossomed into a much bigger endeavor. In July, Big Tattoo Wines surpassed $1 million in funds raised for cancer service charities in honor of Liliana Bartholomaus and the original fundraising mission continues to grow.

Big Tattoo Wines was founded by brothers Erik and Alex Bartholomaus in honor of their mother, Liliana S. Bartholomaus, who lost her battle to cancer at the age of 58. The idea behind the project was to sell a great wine while raising money for a good cause. Erik, a tattoo artist, designed the label while Alex, President and C.E.O. of Billington Wines, sourced the wine from Liliana's native country, Chile.

"Erik and I are ecstatic that our good intentions grew into a wonderful tribute to our beloved mother," Alex Bartholomaus said. "This milestone is only outweighed by how special of a person she was to us. We miss her dearly."

With the once seemingly impossible goal of raising $1 million realized, the brothers have set their sights on raising $2 million. To reach this goal, they will continue to build on their established Big Tattoo Wines.

The original bottling, Big Tattoo Red, was released in 2002, and the brothers donated fifty cents from every bottle sold to Washington, D.C.-area charities that helped their mother during her final days. Over the years, they have added additional wines, including Big Tattoo White from Germany and Big Tattoo Syrah from Chile and, in early 2007, released a new brand of reserve level wines called 2 Brothers. Every wine in the portfolio carries the same mission of reserving, for charity, 50 cents per bottle sold.

"Support from the Big Tattoo Wines and the Bartholomaus family helps us reach out to people in our community who need hospice care but do not have the insurance or financial resources to pay for our services. I can't think of a better legacy to honor Liliana than to give others the gift of hospice," said Malene Davis, President and C.E.O. at Capital Hospice.

In addition to the new wines, the brothers have also extended their donation mission to reach any 501(c)3 charity benefiting the community where the wine is sold. This expansion, as well as the array of wines now available, allows them to increase donation funds and widen their reach to charitable causes across the United States.

Big Tattoo Wines, a partnership between brothers Erik and Alex Bartholomaus, began in 2002 as a way to raise funds for charity in memory of their mother, Liliana S. Bartholomaus. Fifty cents from every bottle of Big Tattoo sold is donated in their mother's name to charity, with a portion benefiting the community where the wine is sold. Due to the success of the original Big Tattoo Red, the Big Tattoo project has expanded to include six different wines available in restaurants and retailers nationwide. By 2007, over 70 charities in approximately 33 states have benefited from the more than $1 million raised. For more information, visit www.bigtattoowines.com.