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Sector
Food & Beverage

Location
Hayward, CA

Employees
40

Revenue
$4 Million

Web Site
www.signaturewines.com

21 March 2005
Signature Wines Up 71%—Black Knight Increases Stake

Dallas-based private equity group Black Knight Partners, LP, through a special-purpose entity it controls called Vintage Partners, LP, has significantly increased its stake in Signature Wine Cellars, Inc. following the company’s 2004 in which it grew revenues 71% vs. prior year.

Signature Wines is the leading provider of outsourced wine clubs and affinity wine labels in the US. Founded in 1998 and based in San Francisco’s East Bay, Signature has partnerships with world-renowned wineries such as Robert Mondavi, Kendall-Jackson, Ravenswood, Chateau Ste Michelle, and Franciscan Oakville Estate.

Signature specializes in managing wine clubs for partners such as the AARP, the Sierra Club, Ducks Unlimited, and Sunset magazine. Wine club members receive high quality wines with interesting labels from around the world that have been selected by expert sommeliers.

Signature also markets and sells an exclusive line of retail and collector edition wine bottles for Elvis Presley Enterprises, showcasing the King of Rock and Roll over his music and film career. Signature sold over 22,000 cases of Elvis wine in the first three months of fielding the line.

In addition, Signature partners with university, hospitality, retail and corporate clients to enhance their brands and product offerings, impress their customers, and generate new revenue streams through customized programs that generate brand awareness and customer loyalty.

Signature Wines uniquely serves its clients through its excellent quality wines, an award-winning design team, customized branding and marketing, and creative gift and wine accessories.

“Signature Wines is the best at what they do—creating premier custom label wine programs that open new distribution channels for our award-winning wines, enabling us to reach an entirely new customer base,” said W. Reed Foster, Chairman Emeritus and Co-founder of Ravenswood.

Black Knight Partners’ Rob Holmes added: “The team at Signature has done a great job and has positioned the company for explosive growth. We are very excited about this investment.”

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