Introduction
The phrases "Corporate Social Responsibility" and "Charitable Support" are extremely important to all 10,500 team members and senior management at Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc., all of whom work and live in markets from Florida to Hawaii.

According to Wayne E. Chaplin, President and Chief Operating Officer of Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc., “Since our founding in 1968, Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. has taken a progressive, active and constructive role in community, state want to 'give back,' and we strive every day to be responsible members of the communities in which we live.”

In 2007, in recognition of the charitable support that Harvey R. Chaplin, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc., has given over the years to international, national and local non-profit organizations, he was honored with the 2007 “Corporate Citizen Excellence Award” by Diageo North America. This recognition was bestowed upon Mr. Chaplin at Diageo North America’s Fourth Annual Golden Bar Awards—the beverage alcohol industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards—which took place at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 26, 2007.

In commending the numerous and longstanding charitable, educational and community-oriented donations made by Mr. Chaplin, Ivan Menezes, President and Chief Executive Officer, Diageo North America, in presenting the award, said: “This year we are taking the opportunity to recognize an individual who makes an exceptional difference in his community and our industry.”

In remarks also made during the presentation of the award to Mr. Chaplin, Larry Schwartz, President, U.S. Spirits, Diageo North America, said: “From his earliest years of growing up in Brooklyn to the present, our honoree has understood the importance of educational opportunities for positive change. This is reflected not only in his company’s commitment to educating and training employees and customer staff, but also to making positive and lasting investments in some of the country’s most important hospitality schools.”

Commenting on receiving the award, Mr. Chaplin said, “I am very grateful to Diageo and appreciate this recognition. Giving back to the community has always been a tradition at Southern, and I want to thank all of our Company’s team members and commend them on their devotion to serving all our supplier partners and our customers with the highest levels of service and dedication. I would not have been in a position to accept this honor without their support over the years.”

Wayne E. Chaplin, President and Chief Operating Officer of Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. said: “I am extremely proud of the honor that my father has received from Diageo North America. On behalf of our entire Company, I want to salute his fine example of ‘giving back’ to the community and all of my dad’s generous donations to charitable, educational, medical and many other worthy community-based organizations in both the United States and abroad.”

I.  Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. & The Weizmann Institute of Science

Motivated by a keen desire to “give back” and help support the solution to some of the most challenging scientific and medical challenges in the world, Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. has shown a deep commitment to supporting the ongoing and critically important scientific and medical research undertaken by the world-renowned Weizmann Institute of Science.

The Weizmann Institute of Science is justly recognized for being at the forefront of research in a variety of fields from microbiology and cancer to the origins of our universe. The Institute is located in Rehovot, Israel. Founded more than 60 years ago, the Weizmann Institute of Science, a unique community of 2,500 scientists, graduate students and technicians, is internationally respected for its achievements and academic excellence.

Under the leadership of Mel Dick, Senior Vice President of Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc., and President of the Company’s Wine Division, the Company has raised millions of dollars in a series of charitable dinners and events over the years.

Since the 1980s, Mr. Dick has helped the Institute raise funds on numerous occasions, serving in recent years as Chairman of The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science, South Florida Region.

On behalf of Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc., Mr. Dick said, “The Weizmann Institute of Science is considered by many to be the finest scientific and medical research center in the world.”

In 2002, thanks in large part to Mr. Dick’s encouragement, Mr. Harvey R. Chaplin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc., agreed to be Guest of Honor at the South Florida Region’s annual event. On that evening, more than 700 wine and spirits industry leaders from around the country and the world attended, helping to raise a very large donation for the Institute.

In accepting the award from Mr. Dick and the Weizmann Institute of Science, Mr. Chaplin said on that evening: “I would first like to thank Mel Dick, whose commitment to Weizmann has brought us all together in support of this important cause.  I also want to thank my wife, my children and grandchildren for joining me for this honor. Please let me also thank everyone at Southern Wine & Spirits of America and our Suppliers and Customers, all of whom have helped make Southern the leading Company in the wine and spirits distribution business in the world. Thank you all very much for your support.”

According to Mr. Dick, in previous years other notable Company executives and wine and spirits industry leaders have also lent their generous support to Mr. Dick’s efforts and that of Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc., to this worthy cause, including successful events honoring Mr. Jay Weiss, a Co- Founder of Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc., Mr. Sam Bronfman Jr., then President of Seagram Chateau & Estate Wines Company, the Sands Family and Constellation Brands, and Michael Mondavi of the Robert Mondavi Winery, among others.

In each of these charitable efforts, Mr. Dick credits his wife, Bobbi, for her generous support of his work on the Institute’s behalf. In 1988, in recognition of their combined work for the Weizmann Institute of Science, Bobbi and Mel Dick were honored at Miami’s Fountainbleau Hotel at a fundraiser that brought in more than $1 million on that night alone.

Overall, Mr. Chaplin and Mr. Dick are extremely proud of their Company’s efforts over more than a decade to give back in some fashion and contribute to the important and ongoing research at the Weizmann Institute of Science. As Mr. Dick explains: “It is Israel’s gift to the world.” According to Mr. Dick, Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. continues to be a generous supporter of the Weizmann Institute of Science.

This commitment to the Weizmann Institute of Science endures to this day and this renowned organization will continue to receive support from Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc., according to Mr. Dick and both Wayne and Harvey Chaplin.

II. The Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center at the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Florida International University

Since its earliest days, Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. has had a longstanding commitment to all aspects of the hospitality industry. Under the leadership of Harvey R. Chaplin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc., has over the years forged a particularly close relationship with one of the nation’s leading and most respected centers of culinary education: The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the Florida International University, which is located in Miami, Florida.

In 1999, founded with generous grants from Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc., and many of their supplier partners, The Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center was inaugurated at the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Florida International University (FIU). The Center is widely considered the most advanced beverage appreciation and evaluation facility in the world. The 4,500 square-foot facility is living evidence of the Company’s commitment to furthering the professional and educational standards of the hospitality industry.

At the time of its opening, Mr. Chaplin said: “We have worked closely with Florida International University to help provide their students with the tools needed in the study of beverage management, while also contributing to our community.” Noting its uniqueness, Mr. Chaplin added, “This center will revolutionize the hospitality industry. It is the only one of its kind in the U.S. and will be available to students and industry leaders alike.”

Thanks to Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc.’s leadership and support, the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management’s overall beverage program is now at the educational forefront, nationally and internationally, regarding the commitment to the study and analysis of wine, spirits and other beverages.

Among other notable features, the new Center houses a fully-equipped 2,000 bottle temperature and humidity-controlled wine cellar, newly endowed professorships, and a state-of-the-art tasting classroom, which is called the Herbert S. Joseph Lecture Hall, a former Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. Senior Executive.

Featuring 76 seats, the lecture hall was designed for a wide array of users, including FIU students, wine society members, beverage industry executives, visiting winemakers, master sommeliers, wine stewards, distinguished wine and spirits retailers and educators from across the country and around the world.

To further support the opening of the Center, FIU also announced the endowment of the First Eminent Scholar Chair in Beverage Management Studies in the United States. The Chair, which represents a prestigious University appointment, is named in honor of Harvey R. Chaplin. 

Today, The Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center at FIU is one of the most respected and admired facilities in the country. In considering the Company’s continuing role in this educational enterprise at FIU, Mr. Wayne E. Chaplin, President and Chief Operating Officer of Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc., who along with his father, Harvey, remain active supporters of FIU, said: “Southern Wine & Spirits has continuously been committed to the advancement of higher education in this community. We are pleased to play an integral role in the expansion of the FIU School of Hospitality and Tourism Management’s beverage management program.”