VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 29th, 2014 / First Growth Holdings Ltd. ("First Growth" or the "Company") (TSX-V: FGH), is pleased to announce that WineOnline Marketing Company Ltd. ("WineOnline"), the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, has secured agreements with top wineries and continues to be an industry leader for online sales of wine in Canada.
WineOnline continues to attract top notch suppliers from around the world that are excited to do business in Canada. "We are as excited and pleased as can be with our association with WineOnline," says John King of Vintae. "They have sold thousands of cases of wine already and we have just begun our working relationship."
WineOnline continues to expand sales with double digit sales growth in each year since 2010. "We are looking to outperform these numbers this year once our marketing plan and growth strategy across Canada has had time to gain traction in the market," says Aaron Bick, GM North American Markets and Wine Procurement. "Selling wine online is still in its infancy in Canada and there is a lot of room to grow."
WineOnline is working hard at continuously improving and expanding its portfolio. Here are just a few of the suppliers that WineOnline has signed agency agreements with since November 2013:
Bodegas Casal de Arman - "This family business, created in 1999 in the Avia valley, is quickly turning into one of the main players in the Ribeiro appellation." - Luis Gutierrez, Wine Advocate, Oct 2013
Purato (The Wine People) - Purato is a quality range of indigenous, affordable Sicilian wines, which benefit from
absolutely purity of fruit and an impeccable environmental conscience.
Santa Tresa (The Wine People) - One of Sicily's oldest and finest wineries, producing top quality, indigenous varietal wines from Vittoria.
Volunte (The Wine People) - Volunte is a range of everyday drinking wines, each of which is an Italian
classic and an excellent example of its type.
Domaine La Suffrene - Cedric Gravier has built a beautiful winery that is a perfect combination of state of the art stainless steel equipment for fermentation, large well ventilated space, and old world oversized oak foudres for ageing.
Jean Marc Burgaud - Jean-Marc Burgaud is one of the finest growers in Beaujolais, and one of only 8 wineries in the region to receive 5 stars from Robert Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide.
La Colombina - "La Colombina is an excellent source for delicious, approachable Brunellos that can be enjoyed with a minimum of cellaring." - Wine Advocate, June 2009
Pico Cuadro - "Bodegas Pico Cuadro is an impressive newcomer to these pages. It is a family-owned winery that began operations in 2004 with 12 acres of vines ranging from 20 to 90+ years of age." - Jay Miller, Wine Advocate, June 2011
Vinos Sanz - Vinos Sanz is largely responsible for making the Rueda what it is today. The Sanz family has been making wine in the Rueda for 6 generations and continue to be one of the best, if not the best wine producers, in the
Rueda.
Through WineOnline's extensive list of relationships, First Growth has been able source some of the world's most sought-after wines (many directly from source). An extensive collection of Bordeaux's, Burgundy, and Rhone wines have been assembled and include such names as:
1 )Chateau Lafite Rothschild2) Chateau Mouton Rothschild
3) Chateau Margaux
4) Chateau Pavie
5) Chateau Haut Brion
6) Chateau Latour
First Growth is presently working on a global sales initiative including distribution into the exponentially growing wine market in China. The Company aims to have more updates on these initiatives in the near future.
About First Growth
First Growth is a Canadian-based company that identifies and develops strong brands in the Canadian and international markets. Strong brands have a global reach in today's modern world with the rapid adoption of social media and advancements in technology. First Growth recognizes the potential for certain brands to penetrate international markets and will be focused on developing each one of its brands to its fullest potential.
WineOnline Marketing Company Ltd. is the first brand that First Growth will develop. WineOnline, through its website WineOnline.ca, allows customers to shop for great unique wines that are not readily available in most stores, and have the wine delivered to your home or office. The direct-to-customer online wine business in Canada is far behind first world peer countries. First Growth views this as an enormous opportunity for the right brand to establish itself as the industry leader. Acquiring WineOnline, which is an established brand in Ontario and has been since 2004, was the perfect opportunity to grow an existing business into a national leading online retailer.
Leveraging the relationships that WineOnline has established with some of the best wineries around the world, First Growth plans to import some of those brands into China, one of the fastest growing wine markets in the world. This emerging market is still in the infancy stage with massive potential for exponential growth. First Growth's team has intimate knowledge of the wine market in China that will assist in our rapid entry into the wine market.
First Growth will be evaluating and exploring other brands that have international opportunities for growth and investing in them in order to create increased shareholder value.
ON BEHALF OF FIRST GROWTH HOLDINGS LTD.:
"J. Paul Guedes"
J. Paul Guedes
President
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Corporate Communications
Tel: 604.688.9588
Email: [email protected]
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Forward Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on First Growth's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to First Growth. Risk factors that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by forward-looking information include, among other things: general economic and business conditions and changes in the regulatory regime. First Growth cautions the reader that the above list of risk factors are not exhaustive. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and First Growth is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.
SOURCE: First Growth Holdings Ltd.