SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Starting this month, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants will introduce Wines That CareTM during its hosted nightly wine hour at nearly 50 hotels nationwide. For guests in the mood to mix and mingle in the living room-style lobby with a glass of red or white, every savored sip will come from a featured winery of the month chosen for its dedication to the earth and local communities. Hand-picked by Kimpton�s wine director and master sommelier, Emily Wines, Wines That CareTM will offer pours from a different winery each month that has a unique story and genuine commitment to environmental preservation and sustainability. Featured wineries will include:

� Barefoot Wine (Modesto, CA): Each year more than 25,000 beaches in the U.S. are closed or posted as unhealthy. To remedy this, Barefoot Wine and Surfrider Foundation encourage local residents to volunteer at cleanup and restoration events across the country to help make these beaches �barefoot-friendly.�

� Hayes Ranch by Wente Vineyards (Livermore, CA): This 127-year old winery features a progressive Farming for the Future program that enhances the vitality of the soils, creates a balanced, sustainable ecology, minimizes water use and reduces non-organic wastes.

� Banrock Station (Australia): Named one of the world�s most powerful wine brands in the annual �Power 100� list of the world�s top wine and spirits brands, this company was recognized for its extensive commitment to global conservation with generous contributions to 60 projects worldwide including the preservation of native ducks in New Zealand, Flamingos in Kenya and the re-introduction of otters in Holland.

� Walnut Crest/Emiliana Vineyards (Chile): As the number one seller of bottled wine in Chile, this winery was the first to earn the International Standard Organization 14.001 certification, which acknowledges the vineyard�s high production standards and constant concern for the environment.

�Partnering with like-minded companies through Wines that CareTM allows us to provide guests with more than complimentary wine each night, but a way to support the environment and their communities when they stay at Kimpton,� said Emily Wines, director of wines and master sommelier, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. �Each bottle has been hand-picked not only for its flavor and quality, but for the story behind the grapes.�

Additionally, all Kimpton restaurants will offer open-to-the-public natural cork recycling throughout 2010 through a national partnership with Wente Vineyards and ReCork America. Travelers and community members are invited to bring used natural corks to any Kimpton restaurant in 2010 for recycling through ReCork America with the support of Wente Vineyards. To view a complete list of restaurant locations where corks can be donated, visit www.KimptonRestaurants.com or to learn more about Wines That Care,TM visit www.KimptonWineHour.com.

To learn more about Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, visit www.KimptonHotels.com, www.Twitter.com/Kimpton, or www.Facebook.com/Kimpton.

ABOUT KIMPTON San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, a collection of boutique hotels and chef-driven restaurants in the US, is an acknowledged industry pioneer and was the first to bring the boutique hotel concept to America. Founded in 1981 by Bill Kimpton, the company is well-known for making travelers feel welcomed and comfortable while away from home through intuitive and unscripted customer care, stylish ambience and having a certain playfulness in its approach to programs and amenities. Each hotel provides a range of exciting culinary experiences through locally-loved, top-rated, destination, chef-driven restaurants. Kimpton leads the hospitality industry in ecological practices through its innovative EarthCare program that spans all hotels and restaurants. Privately held Kimpton has consistently earned high customer satisfaction scores by the Market Metrix Hospitality Index, exceeding other hotel companies including those in luxury and upscale segments. Among the company�s newest properties are the LEED registered Hotel Palomar and LEED registered Square 1682 restaurant by Chef Guillermo Tellez in Philadelphia, PA, which opened in October 2009. Currently, projects are underway in New York City and Chicago. For more information, please visit www.KimptonHotels.com or call 1-800-KIMPTON.

ABOUT RECORK AMERICA AND CORTICEIRA AMORIM ReCORK America is a wine cork recycling program sponsored by Corticeira Amorim of Portugal and Amorim�s U.S. sales affiliates, Amorim Cork America and Portocork America. Information about ReCORK America can be found at www.recorkamerica.com.

Tracing its roots to the 19th century, Corticeira Amorim has become the largest cork and cork-derived company in the world, generating over Euro 450 million in sales throughout more than 100 countries. Corticeira Amorim and its subsidiaries are an integral part of a conservation effort to guarantee the survival of hundreds of thousands of cork oak trees throughout the Mediterranean Basin. Amorim is proud of its contributions to the correct utilization of these important forests that represent a key role in CO2 retention, preserving biodiversity and preventing desertification. To learn more about Amorim and its sustainable business model, visit www.corkfacts.com or www.corticeiraamorim.com.

ABOUT WENTE VINEYARDS 2008 marks Wente Vineyards� 125th Anniversary. The country's oldest continuously operated family-owned winery, Wente Vineyards is led today by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family. More than a century of committed stewardship to the land has led to the development of Wente Vineyards� Farming for the Future, a system of sustainable viticultural practices designed to produce the best quality wines with the least environmental impact. This philosophy extends to all aspects of winery operations, where energy efficiency, waste reduction and recycling are all integral to the culture.

Located just east of San Francisco in the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards is recognized as one of California�s premier wine country destinations, featuring wine tasting, fine dining and championship golf. For more information, visit www.wentevineyards.com.

Media Contacts: Baltz & Company for Kimpton Marliese Engel Traver / 212-982-8300 x112 / mtraver@baltzco.com Ilana Alperstein / 212-982-8300 x103 / ialperstein@baltzco.com Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants Stacey Ellis / 415-955-5492 / stacey.ellis@kimptongroup.com Jamie Law / 415-955-5495 / jamie.law@kimptongroup.com