April, 2011.-

The Hot Brand Award is given annually to the most dynamic wine and spirits brands meeting certain criteria measuring growth and impact on the industry (double-digit growth last 3 years; at least 15% annual growth; and 200,000 cases minimum depletions). So, this distinction remarks once again the great success of GatoNegro in the US market.

Impact is a leading beverage distribution and retail magazine, published 17 times per year, aimed at top decision makers, who control the distribution and sales of spirits, wine and beer throughout the world.

The Hot Brand Award winners were recognized at the Impact Marketing Seminar in New York City on March 24^th, a preeminent conference –with over 30 years of trajectory– that brings together 250+ top key industry professionals from the global spirits, wine and beer business. The win-list was featured in the March 1&15 issue of the Impact magazine, which was distributed at the seminar. Also, the April issue of Market Watch will re-announce the Hot Brand Award winners and will be distributed at the annual Wine and Spirits Wholesaler Association Convention carried out in Florida.

Impact is one of the premier trade magazines such as Market Watch, Food Arts, Wine Spectator and Cigar Aficionado, published by M. Shanken Communications. In addition, this firm also publishes the Impact Newsletter and heads Impact Databank, research arm which is the leading source for exclusive data on the alcoholic beverage industry in the US and internationally.

January, 2011.-  San Pedro’s

On one hand, renowned wine-writer Anthony Gismondi, from newspaper Vancouver Sun, the largest one in that city, rated 35°South with 87 points and qualified it as a “Crazy Value”, this means, that its quality-price ratio is barely insane.

On his article entitled “Good wines at good prices will sell food”, Gismondi recommends six wines, from France, Italy, California, Chile and Argentina, which restaurants should offer on their wine lists in order to “change the way people think about the food and wine experience in their locals”, highlighting in his list a wine they have to have: “a crazy value red and that’s San Pedro 35°South Reserva Shiraz 2009, from Chile. Soft, fresh, round, dry palate with black cherry, licorice, peppery, blueberry, smoky, gamy, savoury flavours.  This will be gone before you can get the food on the table. Price it at  CAD$ 28.00 and sell two for dinner”.

At the same zone, but on the newspaper Courier-Islander,  wine-critic Doug Sloan, wrote an interesting list aimed at accompanying these days, when all years end celebrations have been and gone, and there are only bills to pay left. In his article “Excellent wines for CAD$ 8.99 and even less….” his list includes some examples stemming from California, Italy, local Canada, Argentina and Chile, country from which he highlights our GatoNegro, describing “a light bodied and tropically inflected Sauvignon Blanc –think mango and pineapple–, and a more medium bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, subtle and smooth and restrained blackcurrant aromas and flavours and very gentle ‘bite-free’ tannins”.

Two very important reviews to help promote San Pedro’s brands this year 2011 in North America!

August 20th, 2010.-

This great acknowledgement highlights the important role San Pedro is playing in the world wine-industry and some big achievements reached this year, such as relevant scores and awards for our wines in different segments, GatoNegro’s 50^th Anniversary and launching our 360° Sustainable focus, among others. Besides, within the 55 nominees to the 11 categories, we are the only Chilean representatives in the list. A great honor!

We are also very proud, because last year we were already nominated as a group for the same prize. And the year before, Shaw-Ross International, San Pedro’s ally in the US, resulted highlighted as the 2008 best importer.

This time, on the 11th edition of the Wine Enthusiast’s Wine Star Awards, the other competitors in the category for New World Winery of the Year are the Argentinean Achaval-Ferrer and Bodega Catena Zapata, the New Zealander Craggy Range and the South African DGB. Outstanding competitors, all of them.

These awards recognize excellence on all levels of the industry, from producing Premium wines and spirits, to its commercialization. Brief descriptions of the nominees will be featured in the November issue, while the winners will be presented in-depth in the December issue (both circulate a month before), and honored at the annual Wine Star Awards gala dinner on January 24, 2011, at the New York Public Library. After over 20 years of trajectory, Wine Enthusiast Magazine has become one of the most respected and quoted publications in the field of wine and spirits, reaching 685,000 readers per issue.

To be within the five nominees for the best New World Winery of this year is already a very good achievement. We will work even harder in continue spreading the news about our wine’s quality, our winemaking vocation and the passion for all what we do …..Let’s go for the big prize!

June, 2010.-

Susan Sterling, renowned hostess of the innovative web-show The Naked Wine Show, reviewed GatoNegro Sauvignon Blanc 2009, as follows:

“It’s Wednesday night, friends just showed up and you wanna have a party. What do you need? Fun, fresh, fabulous wines! …In a screw-cup so you don’t have to do  a whole lot of work.

This is GatoNegro Sauvignon Blanc, out of Chile. They make lots of Sauvignon Blanc in Chile, ‘cause they do it really, really well.

So, into the glass we go….very pale wine. Really intense nose, lemon, lime, slate, grass, herbs. A little tarragon.  Fun and fresh. Just what you’re looking for in a party-wine.

Again, I get that crispy, grassy note, a bit of lemon-lime. So this is terrific, maybe a little shrimp-platter, sitting around, shooting the breeze with your girls…..Happy sipping!”

Every week, Susan gives tasting notes, price points, food pairings, scores and more on The Naked Wine Show, which can be watched weekly on the Internet, or subscribed in iTunes. Her goal is to help people making an informed purchase. Sterling completed her WSET Diploma in January of 2007 and besides her media-linked job, she works in sales for Andrew Peller Limited, company that produces and markets wine products and other beverages in Canada.

Get the whole video-review at: http://www.blip.tv/file/3481703 and also,

watch it on YouTube at:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI1dA0l3×6k

May of 2010.-

Wine-critic and journalist Gord Stimmell, published the results of a tasting of 30 white wines from several countries at the largest Canadian newspaper, “Toronto Star”.

Our GatoNegro Sauvignon Blanc 2009 attained 88 points, reaching one of the top three places on the list.

The publication described this Sauvignon Blanc as an easy-sipping white at a swallowable price. Perfect to enjoy with wine poached mussels.

Stimmell highlighted it aromas of mango, grass and lime peel, which lead into mellow lemongrass. Also, he described lime and pineapple flavours, with a green mango finish. “Overall –he said-, the impression is slightly sweet, making this a nice starter white to sip on the summer porch”.

In Ireland, our 2008 GatoNegro Cabernet Sauvignon beat other two finalists and attained a Gold Medal as the winner of the Best New World Red Under €8 Category in the NOFFLA Gold Star Awards. This is the only local wine competition, organized by the National Off License Association (NOFFLA). This is a big recognition to its quality and a great sales driver, because the winners are promoted through printed leaflets and brochures in all NOFFLA members across the country.

Additionally, on October 24th, the Press Republican Plattsburgh’s wine columnist, Chris Fasolino, highlighted our GatoNegro Sauvignon Blanc on his list of the 10 Best Values he has found along the years he has been writing there, qualifying it as “astonishingly good”. “A light but flavorful white wine, it has vibrant notes of guava and tropical fruit, along with a touch of citrus. It’s from Chile, another emerging region… It goes well with fresh fruit and melon”, stated Fasolino. The Press Republican newspaper is the source for local news from the City of Plattsburgh and the Counties of Clinton, Essex and Franklin belonging to the so-called North Country, the northeastern frontier of the New York State.

Furthermore, our 2009 GatoNegro Cabernet Sauvignon has just been awarded in October another Gold Medal at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles – Chile 2009, this is, the Chilean version of one of the most important international wine competitions in the industry.

This oenological contest awarded 35 Gold Medals on this occasion and our GatoNegro was able to meet the challenge of that kind of acknowledgement, mainly granted to Chilean Reserve and Premium wines.

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This great placement was achieved after a rigorous process of application and strong competition against fine wines stemming from all around the world, where the negotiation of San Pedro’s ally in the United States, Shaw-Ross International, was a key factor.

This success of being the wine listed in such important American airlines is a new confirmation of the consistence and quality that San Pedro wines are offering. Its brand GatoNegro is one of the largest selling Chilean wines worldwide and its aim is to be the quality wine to share with family, friends and all our beloved ones. Many lives, one GatoNegro for each occasion.

Delta was the most important American airline, and the largest in transatlantic flights. Northwest, in turn, was the fifth largest in the World, and besides running the biggest domestic rout within USA, carried more passengers across the Pacific and more cargo than any other American company.

Since October 30th of 2008, both lines merged, building the world’s largest airline, reaching 375 destinies in 66 countries, transporting more than 170 million passengers a year.

Who said it was a pain to fly these days!

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In this context, we are pleased to share with you that the team which is being sponsored by GatoNegro in Malta, the Melita Football Club, is just celebrating the winning of its promotion to the Maltese 1st Division.

Melita FC is a Maltese football club founded in 1933 and that represents the town of Saint Julian’s. The team achieved last week its long-awaited promotion to the First Division of Malta’s football league, after winning the 2008-2009 Second/Third Division Knock-out final for 3 – 0 versus the St. Venera Lightnings team. This triumph granted its automatic promotion to the superior level.

The Republic of Malta is a country with a millenary history, formed by a group of seven islands located in the middle of the Mediterranean Ocean. Given this strategic location, it has been ruled and disputed by several nations along the centuries. Malta gained its independence in 1964 and joined the European Union the year 2004.

This is one of the major achievements attained by Melita club in its history. Most probably, the celebration consisted in a good “Asado” at a Maltese style, accompanied by our GatoNegro, one of the Chilean wine brands with the largest presence in that market.

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