First-Ever Cross-Platform Social Game is a Fun Way for Wine
      Lovers to Share Wine Reviews, Win Badges and Earn Real
                              Rewards

NAPA, Calif., May 31, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VinPass, the first
cross-platform social game created for wine, brings wine lovers
together to win badges and earn rewards by sharing wine reviews. By
leveraging existing online and mobile wine communities, VinPass expects
to directly reach over 900,000 engaged, socially-savvy wine consumers,
with the potential for a viral campaign through social sharing. VinPass
makes technology strides as well, becoming the first-ever social game
created to be played across multiple web and mobile platforms.

VinPass is the brainchild of VinTank, a digital think tank for the wine
industry. "Our goal was to create a fun, engaging way for wineries to
connect with people who already love both wine and social media," says
Paul Mabray, Chief Strategy Officer of VinTank. "VinPass helps people
learn more about wine while having a great time."

VinPass' lead sponsor is Wines of France/French Ministry of Food,
Agriculture and Fisheries, which has sponsored 10 badges representing
different regions and wines of France including "Alsace, Great Whites,"
"Beaujolais--Cru Master," "Life Gets Better with Bordeaux," "Burgundy:
1000 Years of Heritage," "Champagne: Drinking Stars," "Southwest: a New
Direction for French Wine," "Languedoc-Rousillon--Yours to Discover,"
"The Loire: a River of Wine," "Provence: the Dry Pink," and
"Rhône Valley Wines: Always Right."

"We are excited that France will be a pioneer in social gaming for
wine," says Anabell Bassat, managing director of Sopexa USA, a
marketing agency dedicated to the promotion of French and European
food, wine and lifestyle on the U.S. market. "Wines of France saw this
as an innovative, modern and convivial way to reach a broader target of
wine drinkers and also help consumers learn more about the many
wonderful wine regions of France."

In addition to Wines of France/French Ministry of Food, Agriculture and
Fisheries, other VinPass sponsors include wine personalities Gary
Vaynerchuk, Leslie Sbrocco, Evan Dawson and Joe Roberts (1WineDude) as
well as regional associations New York Finger Lakes Region, New York
Long Island Region and Vibrant Rioja. Wineries include Brancott Estate,
Cornerstone Cellars, Cosentino Winery, Folie à Deux Winery,
Girard Winery, Hanzell Vineyards, Hirsch Vineyards, Hospice du
Rhône, Jacob's Creek, Keller Estate, Kendall Jackson, Kenwood
Winery, Kuleto Estate Winery, Marita's Vineyard, Meteor Vineyard,
Middle Sister Wines, Rutherford Hill Winery, TwentyFour by Charles
Woodson, Vintage Wine Estates, Von Holt Wines and more.

VinPass is easy to play: you just taste wine, write a review on any of
the five existing wine sites or apps partnered with VinPass, and unlock
badges that show your expertise in everything from Cru Beaujolais to
cool-climate Sonoma Pinot Noir. Real rewards that come with earning
badges offer consumers tangible value including coupons on e-commerce
stores, MP3s, ringtones, event tickets and more. Current partners
include mobile wine apps Drync, Hello Vino and iRhone, and wine social
networks WineLog.net and Addega.com. Later in 2011, VinPass will launch
additional platforms expanding to other wine social networks and mobile
applications.

Jason Coleman, co-founder of WineLog.net, was considering implementing
a badge system last summer. "By partnering with VinPass, we've ended up
with a user badge experience that we couldn't have accomplished on our
own," he explains. "We've gotten nothing but positive feedback from our
users and we're excited about it."

"We are so excited to be launching VinPass in Drync Wine," says Brad
Rosen, Drync's founder and CEO. "VinPass adds a new dimension of fun to
the app for our users, and gives wineries a much more targeted,
engaging way to reach customers. Now not only can you access the
largest database of wine in the world from your phone, record tasting
notes, and share favorites with friends, but you also get rewarded for
doing it!"

So it's "game on" for wine! Cheers!

About VinPass

VinPass was created by VinTank, digital think tank serving the wine
industry--providing strategic consulting and business development
wherever wine and technology collide.Website: www.vinpass.comTwitter:
VinPass, #vinpass

NOTE TO EDITORS: For logo or more information please contact Mia Malm,
Malm Communications at (707) 266-1320 or mia@malmcomm.com





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The following files are available for download:


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  wkr0006.jpg       VinPass logo