The New ESSER Vineyards

1. The New ESSER Vineyards Subsidiary of Appellation Ventures, LLC December 27, 2013

2. Contents • The Brand – The ESSER family vineyard • The Supplier – Sustainable, Monterey County appellation from Scheid Vineyards • The Ownership - Who is Appellation Ventures? • The New ESSER • Growing the team • Working closely with our distributors • Developing new varietals and special releases • Getting the word out • Accolades

3. ESSER Family Vineyards The Brand

4. ESSER Vineyards Started by Manfred Esser and his family in 2001 Released first varietals under California Appellation Changed to Monterey County Appellation in 2012 Acquired by Appellation Ventures in Aug 2013

5. ESSER Vineyards • ESSER wines offer Old World elegance that provide superb quality and great value • Produces five varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon (CS), Merlot (ME), Pinot Noir (PN), Chardonnay (CH), and Sauvignon Blanc (SB) from the cool central coast regions of Monterey County • Grapes sourced exclusively from Scheid Vineyards and processed at their winery in Greenfield, Monterey County

6. Scheid Vineyards The Supplier

7. Scheid Vineyards • Scheid family started in 1972 their mission is to produce the highest quality grapes through sustainable practices, e.g., • Environmentally sound practices • Social equity • Economic viability

8. Scheid Vineyards • The Scheid family now farms over 4,200 acres in the Central Coast region • Riverview (Region 1) – Northern most vineyard is ideal for Sauvignon Blanc (SB), Chardonnay (CH) and Pinot Noir (PN). • Viente (Region 2) – Located on the western slopes of Salinas Valley provides perfect cool climates for SB, CH, PN and varietals such as Riesling and Gewürztraminer. • San Lucas (Region 3) – Located 55 miles south of Riverview and the largest vineyard; has excellent climate for reds such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, though the SB is also brighter and fruitier from this region. • Hames Valley (Region 4) – Most southern location of the Monterey County AVA, just north of SLO county line. The warmer climate provides ideal growing area for tannic-rich reds, while preserving the balance of the fruit.

9. Appellation Ventures The Acquirer

10. Introducing Appellation Ventures AV is a California LLC with offices in Northern and Southern California AV strives to find small wineries with solid reputations for quality AV provides the capital and resources to enable significant growth AV is comprised of leaders in the CA wine industry and seasoned business executives and investors

11. Appellation Ventures – The Plan Provide the necessary capital to grow the brand Build a sales team consisting of the very best in the industry Build a business team with professional processes in place Improve quality within the same price category Develop new varietals and special releases

12. The New ESSER Building the brand

13. The New ESSER Team Steve Manley CEO Jack Syage Chairman Sales Team Tom Purcell VP – East Coast Division Karen Buchko Controller Peter Huwiler Special Consultant USA/International Brad Bianchini Regional Director, West Coast Contractors Scheid Winery Supplier Tina Epstein Sales agent – South/Midwest DH Wines Compliance Kelly Davis Graphics Sales agents in other key markets Esser family Consultants

14. Work Closely with our Distributors Maintain frequent communications Implement programs and sales incentives Provide regular memorandums Work with distributor sales teams in key markets and on and off-premise accounts Be proactive in the development of marketing and sales strategy with distributor

15. Develop New Varietals The new 2012 Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are based on excellent stock The Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have been crafted from the best of the 2012 lots The 2012 Pinot Noir has recently been blended and will be released in early 2014

16. Sauvignon Blanc • Our 2012 SAUVIGNON BLANC, hinting of passion fruit,shines with bright aromas of citrus and melon. It is fresh, crisp and lively on the palate. Flavors of lemon, lime and honeydew melon are paired nicely with a subtle note of fresh cut grass, followed by a tart, crisp finish. • Blend: 98% Sauvignon Blanc 2% Chardonnay • Appellation: Monterey County • Alcohol: 13.1% Residual Sugar: 5.0 g/L Acidity: 6.0 g/L pH: 3.44

17. Chardonnay • Our 2012 CHARDONNAY leads with tropical fruit aromas and accents of citrus and lemon blossom. It feels rich and round on the palate and is framed by ample acidity. Notes of lemon curd, pineapple and vanilla are followed by a pleasantly crisp finish. • Blend: 100% Chardonnay • Appellation: Monterey County • Alcohol: 13.5% Residual Sugar: 6.4 g/L Acidity: 7.8 g/L pH: 3.45

18. Pinot Noir • Our 2009 PINOT NOIR entices with bright aromas of bing cherry and subtle notes of cola, tobacco and oak. It is delicate and velvety in the mouth, with crisp flavors of strawberry, cherry, vanilla and clove, followed by a smooth finish with bright fruits and spice. • Blend: 94% Pinot Noir 4% Syrah 1.5% Petite Syrah 0.5% Merlot • Appellation: Monterey County • Alcohol: 13.6% Residual Sugar: 3.0 g/L Acidity: 5.9 g/L pH: 3.65

19. Merlot • Our 2012 MERLOT showcases intense aromas of dark fruit, dried herbs, and oak spice. It has a rich and polished mouth-feel with luscious flavors of cherries, spice, vanilla and plum and is integrated with plush tannins and a long, sweet finish. • Blend: 95% Merlot 5% Syrah • Appellation: Monterey County • Alcohol: 13.0% Residual Sugar: 6.8 g/L Acidity: 6.0 g/L pH: 3.41

20. Cabernet Sauvignon • Our 2011 CABERNET SAUVIGNON elicits deep aromas of black cherry, plum, dark chocolate and oak spice. Mouth filling flavors of black fruits, cocoa and vanilla are balanced with integrated tannins and a lingering finish of sweet fruit and subtle spices. • Blend: 89% Cabernet Sauvignon 6% Merlot 5% Petite Syrah • Appellation: Monterey County • Alcohol: 13.0% Residual Sugar: 5.1 g/L Acidity: 5.4 g/L pH: 3.74

21. Accolades Quality and Value Proposition

22. Illustration of Gyratory Accounts

23. The Press Weighs In

24. They Love our Reds…

25. … and Whites