Hopland, Mendocino County, CA, July 1, 2002 — America’s most popular chef, Emeril Lagasse, is returning to Fetzer Vineyards this fall for a day-long harvest celebration. “Emeril in the Harvest Sun - At Fetzer Vineyards” will combine food and wine education and tastings with a demonstration by Emeril, live music, and much more. The event will take place on Saturday, September 14, 2002, from 10 AM - 5 PM, at Fetzer Vineyards Valley Oaks Ranch in Hopland, just 100 miles north of San Francisco.

Admission price is $100 per person, including lunch and wines, with all proceeds benefitting the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, a non-profit organization supporting a number of local and national children’s charities. Included in the day’s activities will be barrel making demonstrations, home wine making classes, tours of Fetzer’s five-acre organic gardens, and other wine and food seminars. A gourmet luncheon and live music will follow the mid-day cooking demonstration by Emeril.

Along with celebrating the harvest in full style, the event will mark the official premiere of Emeril’s own line of wines. Emeril’s Classics™ were created by Emeril Lagasse and Fetzer’s director of wine making, Dennis Martin. Initially, the line will feature two wines, a Red Wine and a White Wine blend, both offered in selected national markets for a suggested $12.99 retail price. The wines are crafted from premium quality grapes and designed to make wine consumers feel more comfortable with buying and enjoying fine wines. The Red Wine blend is comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Syrah from select vineyards in California’s North and Central Coasts. The White Blend is tunique combination of Chardonnay and Viognier, both from Mendocino County, home of Fetzer Vineyards. The wines will be offered to select retailers nationwide beginning in July, with store distribution expected by the early fall selling season.

Prior to the Saturday celebration, a special VIP dinner “Emeril Under the Stars - At Fetzer Vineyards” will bring together a small group of guests to enjoy Emeril’s Classics™ Wines along with a special dinner prepared by Emeril and Fetzer Culinary Director John Ash. Jazz and dancing under the stars will follow dinner. Proceeds of this event will also benefit the Emeril Lagasse Foundation. Tickets are $250 per person.

Tickets to Friday and Saturday events may be purchased exclusively at the winery by calling 1-800-846-8637, extension 404 (1-800-VINTNER) and are non-refundable.

Chef Emeril Lagasse is currently the chef/proprietor of eight restaurants including three in New Orleans (Emeril’s Restaurant, NOLA and Emeril’s Delmonico); two in Las Vegas (Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House and Delmonico Steakhouse); two in Orlando (Emeril’s Restaurant Orlando) and (Emeril’s Tchoup Chop (pronounced chop-chop) — scheduled to open at Universal Orlando ’s new Royal Pacific Resort in fall 2002); and one in Atlanta (Emeril’s Restaurant Atlanta) scheduled to open in summer 2003. Lagasse became a national TV personality with the Food Network’s production of “The Essence of Emeril” and “Emeril Live” which reaches over 70 million homes daily. In addition, Lagasse is a food correspondent for ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Also an established cookbook author, Chef Emeril Lagasse has authored seven books including Emeril’s New New Orleans Cooking, Louisiana Real and Rustic, Emeril’s Creole Christmas, Emeril’s TV Dinners, Every Day’s A Party, Prime Time Emeril and the kids cookbook, Emeril’s There’s A Chef in My Soup! In September 2000, his book sales exceeded two million. Lagasse’s corporate office, Emeril’s Homebase, located in New Orleans, houses Lagasse’s restaurant operations, as well as cookbook and recipe development and testing, product shipping, the emerils.com website, and a store front for Lagasse’s signature products.

Fetzer Vineyards was founded in 1968 by the Fetzer family in rural Mendocino County, California, and has been part of Brown-Forman Wines since 1992. Fetzer produces several lines of quality wines including a premium line with such category leaders as Sundial® Chardonnay and Eagle Peak® Merlot, a new line of wines from the Central Coast called Five Rivers Ranch, and the super-premium Barrel Select and Reserve wines that are available in restaurants and high-end wine shops nationwide. Whether pioneering unique styles of Chardonnay and Merlot that led to the immense popularity of those varieties, being the only winery with an on-site cooperage, or leading the way in its respect for the land, Fetzer owes much of its success to innovative leadership. In particular, Fetzer’s environmental efforts in organic farming, sustainable business practices and waste reduction have been widely recognized as industry standards. The commitment to crafting quality wine at every price point has catapulted Fetzer to become one of the country’s top-selling wine brands and the clear industry leader in the $7-10 price category.

To learn more about Fetzer Vineyards, please visit www.fetzer.com.

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