Vignoble CARONE Wines' Rosso Classico Wins Double Gold Medal, Best of Category, at All Canadian Wine Championships

QUÉBEC WINE INDUSTRY MOVING CLOSER TO VQA WINE STANDARD

LANORAIE, QC, May 28, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Vignoble CARONE Wines, leading producer and marketer of premium Quebec wines, announced today that it's Rosso Classico red wine has won a Double Gold Medal, Best of Category, at the All Canadian Wine Championships. Hailed as Canada's premier wine awards dedicated solely to 100% Canadian wines, this marks CARONE's 2^nd gold medal, but first double gold medal, at the All Canadian Wine Championships.

Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) Québec
"It is evident that Quebec wines can proudly stand in the company of Canada's best wines and we are working to bring the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) mark to the Quebec wine industry. With the VQA designation, Quebec wines, like our Rosso Classico, will be able to be exported across the globe - this is not the case with certifications currently available in the province or appellations in the works," said Anthony Carone, Owner and Winemaker at CARONE Wines.

Current international trade agreements restrict non-VQA wines exports to certain countries, specifically Europe. He continued: "CARONE is working with the Vignerons Indépendants du Québec and the Canadian Vintners Association to give Quebec wineries the opportunity to have the VQA mark available to them. This will open up additional sales opportunities and huge growth potential for our industry."

Rosso Classico
Rosso Classico is a medium-bodied wine made of a field-blend of four different grape varieties - Frontenac, Landot Noir, Landal Noir and Cabernet Severnyi. The 2011 vintage provides a delicate complexity of berry fruits, cloves and nutmeg. With a short stay in new American oak barrels the wine lingers in the mouth offering flavours of spices and just a hint of black pepper. CARONE's Rosso Classico wine is available in directly from the winery (www.carone.ca), at the Marche des saveurs du Quebec in the Jean Talon Market, and across Canada via the online retailer www.foodiepages.ca. Winery direct price is $18.00 (taxes included).

All Canadian Wine Championships
The ACWC is the oldest (established in 1981) and largest judging event solely for Canadian wines. This year's competition, held in Prince Edward County, Ontario on May 13^th to 15^th, saw industry professionals, sommeliers and wine writers, from across Canada and the U.S., taste their way through wines submitted by more than 200 wineries from Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, Atlantic Canada and Manitoba.

Vignoble CARONE Wines
CARONE is a limited-production, premium estate winery located along the St. Lawrence River in the Lanaudière valley, Quebec's fastest developing wine growing region. CARONE currently offers its wines under four product brands - VENICE, DOUBLE BARREL, BIN 33 and CLASSICO - and the Company expects to expand on its wine offerings. CARONE wines are sought out worldwide by consumers who appreciate our relentless devotion to perfection, outside the bottle thinking and commitment to quality. In February 2014, CARONE announced an aggressive expansion plan that includes quadrupling production volumes, doubling its production facility, increasing international distribution of its wines, and extending strategic alliances throughout Canada.

SOURCE: Vignoble CARONE Wines

Notes to media
Please contact Sarah Hoodspith at [email protected] or 514.814.3034 to schedule an interview, gain access to the media page, and for more information.

Sarah Hoodspith
Vignoble CARONE Wines
T: 514.814.3034 | [email protected]