MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release February 24 2005

PILLITTERI ESTATES WINERY UNVEILS "i baci"
In Celebration of Life, Art and Wine

Niagara-on-the-Lake (February 24, 2006) - Pillitteri Estates Winery, a leader in the Ontario wine industry, unveiled a new series of wines. 'i baci' is a celebration of life, art and wine.
The winery located in beautiful Niagara-on-the-Lake, hosted 130 guests and served as the setting for the launch of the new 'i baci' label. 'i baci' meaning 'the kisses' in Italian is expressed in the vibrant lips adorning Pillitteri's new 'women of wine' labels. The collection depicts the works of Niko, a contemporary artist from Montreal, commissioned to express through her paintings the passion and vibrancy for life that Pillitteri Estates wanted to convey. "Niko's work is youthful and edgy" reflects Charlie Pillitteri, Vice President of Sales, who discovered her paintings in a Miami art gallery. "Her work on the 'i baci' paintings represents our emphasis on creativity, uniqueness and a desire to look beyond tradition. We want people to look at 'i baci' as an everyday wine that is an element of everyday lifestyles. The wines represent quality wines with exceptional value."
Each one of the bold and rousing 'i baci' paintings were painted specifically for the wines that they represent.
The 'Bella D'Agosto' (August Beauty) label was inspired by the strong, sultry and sassy characters of the red wines in the series, comprised of a Cabernet Merlot, Rosso Dolce (formerly Chariot Dolce) and a Rosé. The 'Labbre Per Sempre' (Lips Forever) label reflects the crisp, easy-drinking character of the 'i baci' white wines, which include a Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and a Riesling. The third of the 'women of wine' in the collection is a cool and mysterious character named 'Labbra Di Ghiaccio' (Ice Hot Lips), with cool tones of crystal blues representing the marvelous tastes of the dessert wines, which include a Vidal Icewine and a Late Harvest Vidal.

"When we asked Niko to create paintings for the 'i baci' series, our vision was to create something that would convey the marriage of art with wine, all culminating in living the 'dolce vita'", Charlie explains. "How you live the 'good life' ultimately reflects the personal lifestyle of the person drinking the wine. It's summer time at the cottage, your friends are coming up for the weekend, you're sitting on the dock, putting your feet up, enjoying a bottle of 'i baci' watching the 'art' of a setting sun, and sharing old stories until the early hours." Charlie continues, "In the last few years we have seen that the label is often the motivation behind a person's decision to purchase a new wine, but ultimately what's in the bottle keeps them coming back. We hope that the ladies gracing the 'i baci' wines will inspire consumers to live their 'everyday lifestyles' while relaxing and sharing good times with family and friends over a bottle of 'i baci'."

The evolution of the 'i baci' label is also a story itself. A cold and damaging winter in the Niagara Peninsula left most of the region with a short crop in the 2005 harvest. This compelled Pillitteri Estates Winery to search for wines in Italy, Chile and Argentina that would blend with their best. Formerly labeled as the 'International Series' in the 2003 short crop, these wines became increasingly popular and in high demand by many loyal customers. In view of that, the series merited its own special label. Thus, began a year long adventure…culminating with the creation of the 'i baci' series.

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For further information or for label images contact:
Gabriela Butera- Marketing Manager (905) 468-3147 ext.231
Email: winery@pillitteri.com
www.pillitteri.com

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