Fresh & Easy wine rated 90 Parker Points

The world's most influential wine publication, The Wine Advocate, has awarded one of Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market's exclusive wines 90 Parker Points, rating it as one of the best in a recent tasting of more than 1,000 wines in its February 2008 edition.

The wine, Reflexion Reserva Rioja 2003 from Bodegas Palacio, was selected by Fresh & Easy and launched together with 60 other exclusive wines from around the world when the first stores opened last year. Fresh & Easy also carries a selection of more than 100 branded wines.

Working closely with the makers of the Reflexion Rioja Reserva, one of Spain's most renowned producers, the Fresh & Easy team has sought to combine the best quality possible at affordable prices.

"To receive this accolade from The Wine Advocate is absolutely fantastic, a tremendous endorsement for the wine," said Karen Fletcher, Fresh & Easy wine buyer. "We're working hard to bring our customers new and exciting wines from around the world. To receive a 90 point score for our own Rioja when it's priced at just $9.99 demonstrates our value for money proposition."

Fresh & Easy also recently announced seven of its Specially Selected wines were awarded medals at the San Francisco Chronicle and California State Fair wine competitions.

The 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition evaluated 4,235 wines entered by 1,500 wineries from across the county. Fresh & Easy winning labels include:

* Napa Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, silver medal winner.

* Hilltown Cabernet Sauvignon, bronze medal winner.

* Napa Family Vineyards Merlot, bronze medal winner.

* Hilltown Merlot, bronze medal winner.

* Hilltown Chardonnay, bronze medal winner.

* Hilltown Sauvignon Blanc, bronze medal winner.

The 2007 California State Fair Wine Competition showcased more than 3,000 wines judged with over 600 vintners entering wines into the competition. At this competition, Fresh & Easy Northwood Cabernet Sauvignon received 92 points, making it one of six wines to receive the highest score a silver medal wine can receive. The wine sells for $4.49 in Nevada.

Fresh & Easy works with an accredited master of wine who partners directly with vineyards to develop 60 Specially Selected wines, which are exclusively available at Fresh & Easy. There are 265 masters of wine worldwide with only 20 based in the United States.

"Winning medals at these prestigious wine competitions demonstrates we have developed a great range of wines at Fresh & Easy," said Master of Wine Philip Reedman. "We regularly taste our Specially Selected wines against the competition to ensure that quality and value for money are consistently outstanding."

More information regarding Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market can be found at www.freshandeasy.com.

Courtesy PRNewswire