O'Neill Vintners and Cecchetti Wine Company Form Strategic Partnership

LARKSPUR, CA--(Marketwired - Mar 3, 2014) - O'Neill Vintners & Distillers and Cecchetti Wine Company have announced a strategic partnership to combine the winemaking and sales functions of their respective national wine brands. The new business structure is designed to take advantage of the complementary strengths of each partner -- O'Neill's winemaking and production expertise coupled with Cecchetti's sales and marketing prowess. The combined national portfolio will feature Cecchetti brands Austerity, Backhouse, Exitus, Line 39 and Redtree as well as O'Neill labels Camelot, Martin & Weyrich (Moscato Allegro), Pepi and Tin Roof Cellars.

The new partnership will operate under the O'Neill Vintners & Distillers banner. O'Neill Vintners will assume grape sourcing, winemaking and production responsibilities for all the brands in consultation with Cecchetti winemaker Bob Broman. Cecchetti Wine Company founder Roy Cecchetti will serve as President of O'Neill Vintners' Case Goods division and lead the national sales organization representing the joint portfolio, including general market sales, distributor management, strategic planning, pricing, programming and key account calls.

"We are excited to join forces with Roy Cecchetti to help expand our overall case goods business," said Jeff O'Neill, CEO of O'Neill Vintners. "Roy brings tremendous distributor and retailer relationships and has a proven track record of building successful brands in the wine industry. We are confident that Roy's experience, knowledge and leadership can help take our collective portfolio to the next level."

"We're thrilled to be partnering with O'Neill Vintners," said Roy Cecchetti, CEO of Cecchetti Wine Company. "O'Neill is a vertically-integrated, primary source winery with one of the most modern production facilities in California. They offer top-notch vineyard, winemaking and bottling capabilities that can scale as our brands continue to grow. It's truly a win-win scenario and I look forward to working with Jeff and his talented team."

About O'Neill Vintners
O'Neill Vintners & Distillers was founded in 2004 by Jeff O'Neill, former CEO of Golden State Vintners. The family-owned winery has grown to become one of the largest varietal and brandy producers in California with a reputation for producing high quality wines from the North Coast, Central Coast and Central Valley. Through its extensive vineyards and modern production facilities, O'Neill provides premium winemaking services to the industry as well as its growing portfolio of proprietary brands and control labels. O'Neill's national brands include Camelot, Moscato Allegro, Pepi and Tin Roof Cellars. For more information, please visit www.ONeillWine.com. 

About Cecchetti Wine Company
Cecchetti Wine Company was launched by wine industry veteran Roy Cecchetti and his wife Rachael in 2007. The company strives to produce consistent and approachable wines of excellent value from throughout California with its Redtree, Line 39, Backhouse, Exitus and Austerity wine brands. Over the years, Cecchetti has received numerous industry awards and recognition for its growth. Redtree and Line 39 received consecutive Impact "Hot Prospect Awards" along with dozens of Best Buy ratings and other accolades for its quality, affordable wines. For more information, please visit www.CecchettiWineCo.com.