Press Release - Seattle—May 14, 2012—In a move that solidifies its presence as a significant wine producer in Idaho, Seattle-based Precept Wine announced today it has purchased Ste. Chapelle Winery from Healdsburg, Calif.-based Ascentia Wine Estates.

Already the parent company of Sawtooth Estate Winery in Idaho’s Snake River Valley, the latest acquisition broadens Precept’s footprint as the second largest wine company in the Northwest.

“All of us at Precept are excited to bolster this flagship Idaho brand and give it the full attention and support it deserves,” said Andrew Browne, Precept Wine founder and chief executive officer. “This is a reunion of sorts for me, having worked with the winery when it was part of Corus Brands; there is no doubt with our two significant players in Idaho we’ll help bring the state’s incredible winemaking to the national forefront.”

Ste. Chapelle Winery, best known for its Riesling, Soft Red, Soft White and Huckleberry wines, overlooks Sunny Slope’s farmland in Southwestern Idaho in the Snake River Valley AVA. Producing approximately 130,000 cases of wine annually and distributed nationally, Ste. Chapelle is the largest winery in Idaho. In 2001, Constellation Brands purchased Ste. Chapelle; Ascentia purchased it from Constellation in 2008. Founded in 1976, Ste. Chapelle Winery is named after the La Sainte Chapelle in Paris. Its cathedral style tasting room boasts vaulted ceilings with wood beams and stained glass windows.

"We are thrilled with Precept's purchase of Ste. Chapelle,” Moya Shatz Dolsby said, Idaho Wine Commission executive director. “It shows well for the state of Idaho that a large company from Washington State has not only one but two Idaho wineries, and I look forward to furthering the Commission’s relationship with Precept Wine."

Precept’s portfolio includes such flagship brands as Washington state-based Waterbrook, Canoe Ridge, Sagelands, HOUSE Wine, Willow Crest, and Apex Cellars; Oregon-based Primarius; and Shingleback and Red Knot from the McLaren Vale in Australia.

Precept Wine: Founded in 2003 by Andrew Browne, Precept Wine is the largest privately held wine company in the Northwest. Precept boasts a portfolio of premium wines as an integrated wine company that owns more than 3,700 vineyard acres, and now employs a team of winemakers and operational staff at eight production facilities and operates nine tasting rooms. Its quality driven portfolio has garnered more than 250 combined Best Buy ratings and 90+ point scores from leading wine publications. Learn more at www.preceptwine.com.