DGE Diageo Plc

NAPA, Calif., June 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Beaulieu Vineyard® (BV), the great American winery in the heart of Napa Valley, has concluded its hunt for a National Hometown Hunger Hero by bestowing the title to Brett Meyers, who founded the food delivery nonprofit Nourish Now. The Hometown Hunger Hero program has brought to life the ongoing BV goal of supporting hunger relief efforts through the winery's Give & Give Back program, headed by program spokesperson and passionate hunger relief supporter Chris Noth. Give & Give Back strives to support food relief organizations across the country.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130610/NY29116)

Brett and seven other volunteers across the country were nominated by peers for the exemplary volunteer work they conduct in their communities, earning each the title of Hometown Hunger Hero and earning $1,000 stipends for their organizations. Through a contest on the BV Facebook page, voters chose Brett among the heroes to receive the grand donation of $10,000 from BV. Chris Noth will present this check to Brett in New York on June 12, 2013.

Brett founded Nourish Now, which partners with restaurants and caterers to share unused food locally with those in need. After witnessing fresh food going to waste when so many Americans are not meeting adequate nutritional levels, Brett decided to do something to push for change. Since its founding, two years ago, Nourish Now has redistributed thousands of meals to families in the Gaithersburg, Maryland area. According to Nourish Now, the amount of food that restaurants throw away "comes out to 260 million pounds of food a day, enough to fill the Rose Bowl to capacity."

"Thanks to this generous donation from BV, we'll be able to get even more trucks on the road picking up from more locations which will result in more families in need being fed," said Brett Meyers, founder of Nourish Now. "BV is doing everything it can to help aid with hunger relief and I'm happy to hear that Give & Give Back will continue to provide support for food organizations in the future."

Chris Noth has been a vehement hunger relief supporter throughout the Give & Give Back program, volunteering with his family on Thanksgiving, and on other occasions, as well as sharing the message of the importance of hunger relief through the media.

"Brett is smart about his solution to hunger in his area," said actor Chris Noth, spokesperson for BV's Give & Give Back program. "He saw there was a problem and thought of a creative way to fix it through donating food that was going to waste anyway. This foresight and his leadership are why he deserves the donation from BV. It's humbling to see how many will benefit from his continued hard work and from the BV generosity."

Over the past two years, BV has committed to fighting hunger in America by donating over two million meals and counting. Now entering its third year, Give & Give Back will continue supporting hunger relief efforts.

To learn more about all of the hometown hunger heroes, the BV Give & Give Back program and Chris Noth's involvement, visit BVWines.com or facebook.com/bvwines.

Please remember to drink BV responsibly.

About Beaulieu Vineyard
Beaulieu Vineyard wines are produced by Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines (DC&E) is part of Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O); the world's leading premium drinks business. DC&E brands also include: BV Coastal Estates, Sterling Vineyards, Sterling Vintner's Collection, Chalone Vineyard, Acacia Vineyard, Provenance Vineyards and Rosenblum Cellars. DC&E is also a leading importer of estate-bottled wines from Burgundy. For more information about BV, visit www.bvwines.com.

About Diageo
Diageo is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines, and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines. Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.

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SOURCE Beaulieu Vineyard