PlumpJack Group Wine Director Gillian Ballance Passes
Advanced Sommelier Exam

Ballance is One of Only Three Candidates to Pass Rigorous Exam

SAN FRANCISCO (December 21, 2006) - PlumpJack Group is thrilled to announce that Wine Director, Gillian Ballance has passed the Advanced Sommelier Exam. 37 students took the exam yet Ballance was one of only three candidates to pass the challenging test. Ballance, an assiduous wine director who is both committed and relentless in achieving her goals, oversees the wine programs at each of the PlumpJack restaurants including Jack Falstaff, PlumpJack Cafe (San Francisco and Squaw Valley), Balboa Cafe (San Francisco and Squaw Valley), MATRIXFILLMORE, and The Carneros Inn including FARM and the Boon Fly Café.

"We are extremely proud of Gillian and her achievement," said Hilary Newsom, vice president of PlumpJack Group. "We feel that we have given Gillian the resources to assemble a fabulous wine program at each PlumpJack restaurant, but it is her own self motivation, determination and passion for what she does that signifies this accomplishment. Her certification will undoubtedly benefit PlumpJack customers and the entire family of businesses."

The Advanced Exam is a considerably more demanding program than the basic Certificate Course, and is a necessary step in the progression toward the Master Sommelier Diploma. Candidates must have a detailed knowledge of the world's wine producing regions and they must be able to recite from memory facts such as the Grands Crus of the Cote de Nuits, the satellites of St. Emilion, the districts of Chianti, the AVAs of Sonoma County and the Bereiche of the Rheinhessen in order to succeed. Entrance into the Advanced Course is through a selection process of the Court of Master Sommelier's academic admissions committee. Candidates must have passed the Introductory Sommelier Exam and they must have a minimum of five years experience in the wine/service industry. Candidates who pass the Advanced Course (on the average about 25% of those who try for it) are then qualified to take the Master Sommelier Examination itself. The passing rate for the M.S. exam is approximately 10% of the candidates.

Ballance has played an integral role in each of the PlumpJack restaurant's success and her contributions were attributed to the recent awards that were given to PlumpJack Cafe and Jack Falstaff. Wine Spectator recently awarded both PlumpJack Cafe and Jack Falstaff as two of San Francisco's best restaurants and the wine list was honored by Food & Wine magazine as the "2005 Best New Wine List."

"It is the craft of the sommelier to keep the list interesting, with fun, new wines for guests to try and for the staff to learn about," said Ballance. "A balanced list is also important, with enough scope so that everyone, regardless of personal preference, can have a memorable
wine experience."

Prior to joining PlumpJack Group, Ballance was formerly wine director at Bacara Resort in Santa Barbara. She also worked in New York City as sommelier at Picholine and Cello and as cellar master and sommelier at Windows on the World.

Ballance received her diploma in Wine & Spirits from the British Wine and Spirit Education Trust, and is currently enrolled in the Masters of Wine Education Program at the Institute of Masters of Wine. She is frequently called upon as a "guest sommelier," and has served as such at both the New York Wine Experience and Masters of Food & Wine. She is also the recipient of a bronze medal in the National Sommelier Competition established by the Conferie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom founded San Francisco's popular PlumpJack Wines on Fillmore Street in 1992 on the principle of providing high quality products and helpful information in a friendly, non-intimidating manner with the goal of transforming the wine purchasing experience into one of fun and discovery. The PlumpJack Group portfolio has since grown to include the PlumpJack Cafe (San Francisco and Squaw Valley), the PlumpJack Balboa Cafe (San Francisco and Squaw Valley), PlumpJack Winery, PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn, MATRIXFILLMORE, two PlumpJackSport retail clothing stores, a second PlumpJack Wines in San Francisco's Noe Valley, the innovative Jack Falstaff restaurant in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood, The Carneros Inn, the Boon Fly Café and FARM in Napa Valley, CADE Winery and the PlumpJack Development Fund.