Bacchus Capital Management Provides Significant Growth Capital to Maritime Wine Trading Collective, Leading Import and Distribution Company

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Bacchus Capital Management, LLC, a San Francisco-based private equity firm providing strategic capital in the wine industry, announced a significant infusion of growth capital to Maritime Wine Trading Collective, a leading boutique wine import, production, and distribution company, based in San Francisco. Concurrent with the Bacchus investment, Maritime is adding Nine North Brands to its portfolio. Nine North is a Stag's Leap District-based collection of handcrafted Napa and North Coast red wines.

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"The Bacchus growth capital provides Maritime with the platform to build infrastructure and to continue to grow our portfolio brands' distribution and volume in the US," commented Chris Nickolopoulos, Maritime CEO, who co-founded the venture in 2009 with Elijah Pfister. "The opportunity to partner with Bacchus' team gives us the operational experience and the resources we need to grow our business. Maritime is dedicated to bringing to market a unique collection of critically acclaimed, artisanal and value-driven wines from around the world. Our proposition as an importer and production company, as well as a sales and marketing agent, is increasingly valuable on the wine landscape."

"The Bacchus/Maritime partnership illustrates the opportunity we can provide to partner with sound wine businesses in need of capital today, a groundbreaking opportunity that traditional sources in the wine space cannot provide," commented Peter Kaufman, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Bacchus. "Our portfolio companies benefit from our unique proposition: pairing our flexible capital and deep understanding of the wine business with their vision and reputation, which is a win-win for everyone. We look forward to a very successful partnership with Chris and Elijah. We are refining a model in the industry, and that model is proving itself to be a winner."

"Maritime's lines of business enable Bacchus to leverage a broader range of services across our portfolio of wineries," stated Sam Bronfman, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Bacchus Capital. "Additionally, we were pleased to put our capital to work immediately, with Maritime's addition of the Nine North brands, a terrific range of Napa and North Coast wines, which complements the Maritime portfolio of wines such as Graham Beck of South Africa and Jules Taylor of New Zealand. This is Bacchus' seventh transaction; the addition of a company with sales and marketing capabilities enables us to further expand our portfolio of services and enhances our value to our winery partners."

Bacchus portfolio companies comprise: Sbragia Family Vineyards, the Dry Creek Valley winery founded by world-class winemaker Ed Sbragia; Andretti Winery, a well-known Napa winery founded by Mario Andretti; Pietra Santa, a Central Coast winery; Qupe, a leading Central Coast winery; and Wine by Joe, one of the largest wine producers in Oregon. The Company previously had a successful financing with Cameron Hughes Wine, one of America's fastest growing wine businesses.

About Maritime Wine Trading Collective

Maritime Wine Trading Collective is a San Francisco based fine wine importation, production and distribution company, national in scope, dedicated to bringing to market a unique collection of critically acclaimed, artisanal and value-oriented fine wines from around the world. The company's portfolio includes offerings from diverse destinations such as Portugal, Spain, Turkey, South Africa, New Zealand, Sicily, & Canada, as well as small production sub-appellation offerings from California & Oregon. The company was founded by Chris Nickolopoulos and Elijah Pfister in 2009.

For more information, visit www.maritimewine.com

About Nine North Brands

Nine North Wine company was founded in Napa Valley's prestigious Stag's Leap District and produces hand crafted bottlings of Cabernet and Cabernet-based blends exclusively from California's Napa Valley and North Coast appellations. The company was founded by James Harder and renowned vintner Jim Regusci. The winemaker is the acclaimed Charles Hendriks.

For more information, visit www.ninenorthwines.com

About Bacchus Capital Management

Bacchus Capital Management is an investment firm providing strategic capital and making equity investments in United States wineries and wine businesses.

For more information, visit www.bacchuswinefund.com

SOURCE Bacchus Capital Management, LLC