Bacchus Capital Management Provides Strategic Advisory for Pietra Santa Winery

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 26 –Bacchus Capital Management, LLC, a San Francisco-based investment firm specializing in mezzanine and private equity wine industry investments and strategic consulting, has been retained by Pietra Santa, an award-winning Central Coast winery, to provide advisory services. The consulting services will focus on sales and distribution.

“Pietra Santa is at a critical point in its evolution, and our goal is to enhance the momentum of the last few years,” said Gayle Dargan, General Manager of Pietra Santa. “We’ve just concluded a phase of substantial vineyard investment, adding Pinot Noir from the ground up, and are now expanding our sales and marketing infrastructure. Our relationship with Bacchus complements these efforts.” Dargan continued, “We plan to leverage Bacchus’ industry expertise and long-standing relationships to support the long-term growth of Pietra Santa. Given that they can provide financing as well as advisory services, we see Bacchus as a valuable partner.”

“Our advisory role with Pietra Santa Winery reflects the opportunity for Bacchus today and the type of support we can provide clients and portfolio companies”, commented Sam Bronfman II, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Bacchus Capital. “As the industry becomes increasingly competitive, there’s a growing need for businesses to be creative and to seek out new tools and resources. The strategic insight and established relationships Bacchus offers is an advantage to our partners and clients.” Bronfman continued, “Distributor consolidation, brand proliferation, growth of direct to consumer marketing and the overall economic climate mandate that businesses work smarter”.

“For a lot of small wineries, it is very tough to compete against the bigger players,” commented Dargan. “Working with Bacchus will help us enter new markets and further expand our business.”

“We’ve established a new model in the industry,” stated Peter Kaufman, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Bacchus Capital. “In this tough environment, our flexible financing coupled with management experience and industry relationships enables wine businesses to leverage resources and skills they might not have in-house and to compete at a higher level”.

About Pietra Santa Winery
Pietra Santa is a family-run estate producing artisanal wines in California’s Central Coast. The site was planted to winegrapes in the 1850s by Frenchman Theophile Vache who chose the location because of the maritime climate and unique soils. The estate’s location on the San Andreas Fault creates soils rich with granite and limestone that naturally lower yields and add distinctive flavors to the wines. The winery was named Pietra Santa, Italian for Sacred Stone, in honor of these exceptional soils. In 2005, the property was purchased by the Blackburn family, which is dedicated to preserving and building upon this magnificent winemaking history. Alessio Carli is the winemaker. For more information, visit www.pietrasantawinery.com.

About Bacchus Capital Management
Bacchus Capital Management is an investment and advisory firm co-founded in 2007 by Sam Bronfman II, Peter S. Kaufman and Henry F. Owsley providing mezzanine and equity capital and advisory services to United States wineries and wine businesses. Quinton Jay is the Managing Director. Bronfman and Jay bring extensive wine industry experience through leadership positions at Seagram Chateau and Estates, Diageo, Artesa Winery and Vineyards, Etude, Quintessa and Bonny Doon Vineyard. Kaufman and Owsley are leading investment bankers specializing in credit analysis, valuation and restructuring. Bacchus consulting services offer the wine operating experience and unparalleled wine industry distribution network of its principals. For more information, visit www.bacchuswinefund.com.