Pelican Brands & Gemtree Vineyards of Australia Announce A Long Term Strategic Partnership -- Pelican Brands Appointed Exclusive U.S. Importer Of Gemtree Vineyards' Award Winning McLaren Vale Wines

CARMEL, Ind., May 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Pelican Brands and Gemtree Vineyards jointly announced today the formation of a long-term strategic partnership for the U.S. market. Gemtree Vineyards is owned and run by third-generation grape growers, the Buttery family. The family is dedicated to producing iconic wines of the highest quality from their McLaren Vale vineyards, which since 2008 have been farmed 100% biodynamically. Gemtree is currently sold in 19 states across the U.S. In April 2011, Gemtree White Lees Shiraz won "Best of Show Red Wine" at the WSWA (Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America) annual convention in the blind tasting competition run by The Tasting Panel.

Andrew Buttery, Managing Director of Gemtree Vineyards said, "We have exported Gemtree to the United States for a number of years now and have been looking for the right partner to help us take our business on to the next level. We are delighted to be working with Smoke and his team at Pelican Brands to achieve just that."

J. Smoke Wallin, Chairman & CEO of Pelican Brands said, "We have looked at a number of outstanding wines in Australia during the past year. Gemtree was our first choice. Our whole team is excited to partner with the Buttery family in expanding Gemtree's distribution and retail footprint in order to bring these beautiful wines to new consumers."

Over the past two years, Pelican Brands has developed a 50-state distribution platform through all the major distribution networks in beer, spirits and wine. With an unparalleled national on premise and retailer network, Pelican Brands is uniquely positioned to efficiently bring high quality brands to market in targeted outlets to reach the right consumers. This unique platform enables Pelican Brands to bring innovative, consumer friendly brands to market more rapidly than anyone else in the beverage industry.

Wallin continued, "Pelican Brands has made great strides in the development of our global wine program in the past months. We are assembling an incredible portfolio of world-class wines and I am pleased to be able put the award winning Gemtree into a portfolio that already includes Marisco Vineyards from New Zealand, Barking Sheep from Argentina, (oops...) from Chile and Agoston from Spain which just went into about 4,000 Walgreens stores."

About Gemtree Vineyards

Gemtree Vineyards is owned and run by third generation grape-growers, the Buttery Family. The family is dedicated to producing iconic wines of the highest quality from their McLaren Vale vineyards, which since 2008 have been farmed 100% biodynamically. They are also passionate about sound environmental practices, sustainable agriculture and innovation, both in the vineyards and in the winery, where winemaker Mike Brown pushes the boundaries of experimentation with biodynamic wines and alternative winemaking practices.

About Pelican Brands

Pelican Brands manages a portfolio of owned and agency premiere import & craft beers, artisanal spirits and fine wines. Our team has extensive experience in the global beverage and consumer packaged goods industries. Our brands include the award winning craft brewer, Napa Smith Brewery & Winery, 3 Amigos Tequila and a portfolio of incredible agency brands of spirits, beer and wine. Pelican Brands is headquartered in Carmel, IN, with offices in the United Kingdom and Napa, CA and a sales team covering the U.S. market and select international markets. www.pelican-brands.com And on Facebook http://on.fb.me/afmdBU And follow us on Twitter @pelicanbrands

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SOURCE Pelican Brands