eVineyard Signs Alliance With the Wine Appreciation Guild; Preeminent Wholesaler's Complete Product Line of 1,600 Items Available at eVineyard.com.

Business Editors/Internet, Food & Wine Writers

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 15, 2000

eVineyard, the leading online wine retailer, has formed a strategic alliance with The Wine Appreciation Guild, the nation's premier supplier of wine accessories, wine education materials and wine storage products.

eVineyard will be the only player in the online B2C space to sell the Guild's complete product line and offer fulfillment directly through the wholesaler. The expanded accessories catalog is expected to launch at www.eVineyard.com in October, in time for the holiday gift season. It will be available in all 50 states and around the globe.

eVineyard's chief wine officer, Ronn Wiegand, MS, MW, will enhance the new offerings by showcasing specific products, offering book reviews, recommending product packages and integrating accessories and informational materials with wines via helpful links.

"By complementing our selection of over 5,000 wines with a full range of everything from corkscrews and glassware to books and cellars, eVineyard will offer wine lovers a true one-stop-shopping experience," said Brett E. Lauter, vice president and chief marketing officer of eVineyard. "The Wine Appreciation Guild is highly esteemed throughout the industry for its remarkable collection of every possible accouterment for the enjoyment of wine. And by shipping directly through their warehouse, they will ensure consistent and expedient delivery to our customers."

eVineyard will offer more than 1,600 wine-related products, including corkscrews, glassware, decanters, silver, giftware, serving accessories, racks, storage systems, posters, maps, videos and over 1,000 books -- the largest selection of wine books in the world.

"eVineyard's launch into the world of wine accessories gives us the opportunity to tailor recommended product packages for people of all levels of wine experience," said Wiegand. "For the novice we may select a corkscrew, a couple of basic books and six starter glasses, while the expert with an ample collection might be interested in specialized stemware, an in-depth text on an obscure wine region and a high-tech cooling system."

Among The Wine Appreciation Guild's numerous exclusive imports and exotic wine accessories are a Rodin bench-mounted uncorking machine; Vintage-Image(R) wine cellars with temperature and humidity controls; the patented Australian pine Modularack wine racks that stack to grow with your wine collection; and Forge de Laguiole artisanal corkscrews hand-crafted in a French village with a 600-year history in the industry.

"We are delighted to have formed this symbiotic marketing agreement with eVineyard," said Elliott Mackey, vice president of marketing for The Wine Appreciation Guild. "We will gain a strong retail presence on the Internet, and wine drinkers around the globe will have access to all the tools they need to learn about and enjoy wine."

About The Wine Appreciation Guild

The Wine Appreciation Guild is the nation's oldest and best-established supplier of wine education, wine accessories and wine storage. The Guild was founded in 1973 as the official successor of the California Wine Advisory Board, which operated under the State Department of Agriculture since 1939.

About eVineyard

The only multistate licensed online wine retailer and the leader in the B2C wine market, eVineyard legally serves wine buyers in 25 states -- more than 70% of the United States market for off-premise premium wine sales. With its seven current logistic centers and the imminent opening of three additional centers, eVineyard will soon serve each of the country's top 10 wine markets, reaching 75% of the market and serving 28 states.

eVineyard offers a selection of over 5,000 domestic and imported premium wines and has exceptional features such as online education, promotions and loyalty programs, sweepstakes events, a wine club and free shipping with purchases over $25. eVineyard's superior selection and delivery capabilities have led to growth averaging more than 150% per quarter since launch. The company expects to achieve profitability in 2001.