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Willamette Valley Vineyards Announces Vineyard Acquisitions

TURNER, Ore.-(Business Wire)-October 3, 2008 - Willamette Valley Vineyards founder Jim Bernau isn't letting the bad economic news slow him down. The winery announced the acquisition of three new vineyard sites in the Willamette Valley today as harvest got underway.

The 2008 harvest marks the 25th anniversary for Willamette Valley Vineyards (NASDAQ:WVVI), and the recent uncertainty in the financial markets has done little to dampen the spirits or the outlook of Founder and President Jim Bernau. “When I planted my Estate vineyard 25 years ago, there were only a handful of winemakers in Oregon,” Bernau recalled, “today, our wine industry is one of the most successful in Oregon agriculture, contributing more than $1 billion in economic activity each year.”

Each of the newly acquired vineyard sites are adjacent to the winery's current operations: 15 additional acres at the Estate Vineyard south of Salem, 80 additional acres at the Elton Vineyard in Yamhill County and 6 additional acres at Tualatin Estate Vineyard near Forest Grove. Bernau has also secured an additional 102 acres adjacent to Elton Vineyards on a 34 year lease.

These vineyard land acquisitions, with a total up-front cost of $1.5 million will require an additional $5 million to develop into producing vineyards. “These additions will be planted in Pinot Noir and farmed according to environmentally sustainable standards - increasing our total planted acreage we will own or lease to approx. 500 acres,” said Bernau.

Willamette Valley Vineyards is Oregon's leading producer of Pinot Noir and the state's only publically traded winery (NASDAQ:WVVI). The vineyard was founded in 1983 by native Oregon winemaker Jim Bernau.

For more information, call (800) 344-9463 or visit www.WillametteValleyVineyards.com.

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