Merritt Winery

FORESTVILLE, N.Y. (November 20, 2008) – Anita Brown of Fredonia, NY, was recently appointed as Special Projects Coordinator at Merritt Estate Winery. The position was created to help Merritt plan and promote their annual festivals, wine tastings and other community events.

Brown joined the winery full time after working at Merritt’s Crossroads Market location in Westfield, NY for the duration of the summer. Under the Special Projects title, she will help the winery plan the annual Strawberry Festival in June, America’s Grape Country Wine Festival in August and Septemberfest in September. She will also participate in a supportive marketing role to Edwin Rodriguez, Marketing and Promotions Director for Merritt.

Brown graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2002 with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a concentration in Public Relations. She worked in the Customer Relations department at Welch’s Foods in Westfield for four years, and she most recently served as Director of Communications at Jamestown Business College in Jamestown, NY. She has also worked with several other organizations, such as the Chautauqua Lake Association, as a free lance consultant.

“I am excited to work with Anita to help the growth of the winery,” said Edwin Rodriguez, Marketing and Promotions Director for Merritt Estate Winery. “She is a seasoned professional in the Public Relations and Marketing world,” said Rodriguez, “and with the experience that Anita has, especially from Jamestown Business College, I am excited to learn from her and work on new projects with her.”

“Anita is very well versed in a great many things. She can sell wine for us, as proven by her record sales numbers at our Crossroads location, and she can also assist with a variety of marketing strategies,” said William Merritt, President of Merritt Estate Winery. “This is an exciting time for our company and we are excited that Anita is working with us toward achieving our future sales objectives,” said Merritt.

“I am enthusiastic about being a part of a growing business. I am particularly excited about helping plan the second annual America’s Grape Country Wine Festival being held next August,” said Brown. “The wine industry is booming right now and Merritt is helping to put New York State wine on the map.”

For more information on special projects and festivals at Merritt Estate Winery, call 888-965-4800, visit www.merrittestatewinery.com or e-mail events@merrittestatewinery.com.

Merritt Estate is located in the largest grape growing region of New York State. The grapes and wines produced under Merritt rival the quality of premium vintages throughout the world.