TORONTO, ONTARIO--(MARKET WIRE)--Aug 25, 2008 -- Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits Ltd., the award-winning wine and spirits distribution and marketing company that owns Dan Aykroyd Wines, 20 Bees Winery, EastDell Estates, Lakeview Cellars and Birchwood Estates has acquired the Beamsville-based family-owned winery, De Sousa Wine Cellars, announced Murray Marshall, President & CEO of Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits.

Located in the highly regarded wine-producing area known as the Beamsville Bench, De Sousa Wine Cellars produces approximately 15,000 cases of wine annually and specialize in the production of both craft and value priced wines. The company also owns a retail operation in Toronto that serves as its direct-to-consumer outlet for purchasing its wines. The company currently has four listings at the LCBO.

"The De Sousa family has built a profitable and highly respected business in the Ontario wine industry. This acquisition complements our ongoing commitment to our aggressive growth strategy that will facilitate our ability to produce and distribute top VQA wines while strategically positioning Diamond Estates as one of Ontario's top producers," said Marshall.

In the past 60 days, Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits has invested over $20 million in the domestic wine industry, with the announcement in July that the company acquired the 20 Bees Winery and now De Sousa Wine Cellars. These acquisitions now position Diamond Estates as one of the top five wine producers in Ontario as well as one of the top VQA producers in terms of cases produced and sales.

"Our goal with the De Sousa acquisition is to continue producing their highly respected wine portfolio while leveraging their production facility in order to integrate other company-owned wines into their production process." said Marshall.

De Sousa Wine Cellars specializes in the production of varietals including Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Meritage, Port and Icewine.

Diamond Estates' currently produces over 100,000 cases of VQA wine annually from its wineries including Dan Aykroyd Wines, 20 Bees, EastDell Estates, Lakeview Cellars, and Birchwood Estates.

"With this acquisition we will now have the opportunity to integrate our existing portfolios of wines into the company's retail operation in the GTA. This will give consumers the opportunity to purchase a larger selection of Diamond Estates-owned varietals in one convenient location," said Marshall.

Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits Ltd. is an award-winning wine and spirits distribution and marketing agency for various international brands across Canada. Since inception, the company has grown to become one of Canada's top agencies representing some of the most compelling domestic and international beverage alcohol brands in today's marketplace.

For more information about Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits, please visit www.diamondwines.com.

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