Press Release – November 15, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: John Hamel
Phone: 707.996.5800
E-mail: john@hamelfamilywines.com

THE RANCH FORMERLY KNOWN AS HARP IS NOW FORMALLY KNOWN AS HAMEL FAMILY RANCH

Neither Prince Nor The Artist Formerly Known As Prince Were Reported To Have Been Involved

Sonoma County, California – November 15, 2010 – Hamel Family Wines has acquired Harp Ranch – the 124-acre property located at the intersection of Sonoma Highway and Madrone Road – and renamed the property Hamel Family Ranch. The etymology behind the new name is unclear.

Though they have been producing wine from their Kenwood vineyards since 2006, the Hamel family believes that the Hamel Family Ranch, which already includes 30 acres of planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel vines, is the ideal location for expanding their wine business. The history of the ranch stretches back to the 1880s, when Senator George Hearst planted vines on the property. The vineyard he planted eventually became part of the estate vineyards of Valley of the Moon Winery in the 1950s.

“Much of what we hope to do in the future with the ranch takes root in its history,“ said John Hamel, Hamel Family Wines manager. “From the rich volcanic soils of its geologic past to the lineage of the vineyards, we intend the vineyards and the wines we make from them to be worthy of their rich (no pun intended) heritage.”

Historical documents indicate that Hamel Family Ranch was originally a part of Rancho Agua Caliente, a 3,219-acre Mexican land grant given in 1840 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Lazaro Pina. Rancho Agua Caliente, which translates roughly to “Hot Water Ranch,” refers to the hot springs in the area. Unfortunately, these days, “Hot Water Ranch” is more likely to refer to a difficult place or situation where you are likely to be punished, and governors do not tend to hand out thousand-acre plus land grants so liberally.

Senator George Hearst and his wife Phoebe purchased the ranch in the late 19^th century. Evidently, the property did not have what it takes for son William Randolph to consider it for his castle.

The Hamel family purchased the property in August from the Parducci family, a third-generation Sonoma Valley winemaking family that previously owned Valley of the Moon Winery. The name “Harp Ranch” is an acronym of the late Henry and Rheda Parducci, whose family historically owned many of the surrounding vineyards along with the Domenici family. The Parduccis had held onto what today is the Hamel Family Ranch after selling Valley of the Moon Winery and the surrounding parcels as the place they hoped to retire.

The Hamels remain fully aware of the challenge in renaming a place that has been known by another name for many years. For instance, Candlestick Park, the home of the San Francisco 49ers professional football team, was renamed 3Com Park, San Francisco Stadium at Candlestick Point, and Monster Park before owners realized everyone still called it Candlestick Park. Upon that realization, they threw in the towel and officially re-named it Candlestick Park.

Hopefully, the Hamel Family Ranch acronym sticks, as the family’s intent on owning the desirable property for generations to come.

About Hamel Family Wines

Hamel Family Wines (“HFW”) has been crafting small quantities of artisan wines from premier grapes grown in their Sonoma Valley vineyards since 2006. HFW began selling wine to the public in September 2010. To learn more, please visit www.hamelfamilywines.com.

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If you would like more information, please call John Hamel at 707.996.5800 or e-mail John at john@hamelfamilywines.com

Announcing Hamel Family Ranch…

At one point in history, the sun allegedly never set on the British Empire. As one of the below photos proves, the sun does in fact set on Hamel Family Wines – and it can at times be quite beautiful. While we may never have the round-the-clock sunbathing opportunities that the British Empire had (there is no such thing as a healthy tan anyway), we recently made one big step to house the growth of our own modest “empire.”

We are pleased to unveil Hamel Family Ranch, HFW’s new home located right smack in the heart of Sonoma Valley. The property, once owned by Senator George Hearst and his wife Phoebe, features 30 acres of luscious Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel vineyards already, as well as 90 acres of rolling hills, fauna and flora. While the Hearst’s son William Randolph did not believe the property had what it took to be home to his castle, we believe it to be the ideal location for both growing grapes for fine wines as well as for our modest business, and includes the future site of the HFW winery and tasting room.

For photos of Hamel Family Ranch’s vineyards and surrounding natural habitat dressed up in this season’s hottest, most fashionable colors – primarily reds, oranges, and yellows – see below.

To experience the real deal for yourself, give us a call at 707.996.5800 or e-mail us at info@hamelfamilywines.com to set up a complimentary private tasting and tour.