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Exhibit (a)(9)
[FOSTER'S BREWING GROUP LIMITED LETTERHEAD]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOSTER'S COMPLETES BERINGER TENDER OFFER
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: MONDAY, 2 OCTOBER 2000: Foster's Brewing Group Limited
(Foster's) today announced the successful completion of its tender offer for the
outstanding Class A and Class B common shares of Beringer Wine Estates Holdings,
Inc. (Beringer) (NASDAQ: BERW). The acquisition will be completed later this
week following a short form merger of Beringer with a subsidiary of Foster's.
Foster's President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ted Kunkel, said, "The
acquisition of Beringer represents the beginning of a new era at Foster's. We
are now what we have aspired to be for some years - a truly global premium
beverage company."
"The addition of Beringer to the Foster's portfolio forms a powerful new growth
engine for the group and alters Foster's business mix, optimising the balance
between beer and wine, continents and currencies."
"The merger of Beringer with Foster's wine division, Mildara Blass, will deliver
immediate benefits, particularly distribution strength in the US, one of the
fastest growing wine markets in the world, and export opportunities for Beringer
wines in Europe."
"It also positions Foster's well to participate in, and benefit from, future
consolidation and globalisation of the premium wine industry," he said.
TRANSACTION DETAILS
The offer of US$55.75 per share cash for the outstanding Class A and Class B
common shares of Beringer, began on 1 September 2000 and expired at 12:00
midnight, New York City time, on 29 September 2000. All outstanding Class A
shares and 19,761,060 Class B shares of Beringer were validly tendered and not
withdrawn (including 422,021 Class B shares subject to guaranteed delivery).
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Under the provisions of Beringer's Certificate of Incorporation, each Class A
share purchased by Foster's in the offer was automatically converted into one
Class B share. Tendered shares represent over 95% of all outstanding Class B
shares, taking into account the conversion of Class A shares, all of which were
accepted for payment.
Each Beringer Class B share not tendered will be converted into the right to
receive US$55.75 in cash, without interest, pursuant to a merger of Beringer
with a subsidiary of Foster's. The total value of the Beringer Shares is
approximately US$1.2 billion.
BACKGROUND
Beringer Wine Estates is a market leader in the California premium wine
industry. The company consists of six award-winning California wineries:
Beringer Vineyards, Meridian Vineyards, Chateau St. Jean, Chateau Souverain,
Stags' Leap Winery and St. Clement Vineyards, plus an import portfolio of
premium brands from Italy, France and Chile. Beringer has an excellent range of
strongly branded successful products, including Chateau St. Jean 1996 Cinq
Cepages cabernet sauvignon, which was selected as Wine of Year in the 1999 WINE
SPECTATOR 'Top 100' and controls more than 10,000 acres of vineyard land, all in
the coastal regions of California. For fiscal year 2000, Beringer reported an
EBIT of US$100.5 million and sold 7.7 million nine litre cases, an increase of
14% on the previous year. Following the merger with Foster's, Beringer's highly
skilled management team, with extensive experience in the wine and branded
consumer packaged goods industries, will continue with the company.
Foster's Brewing Group is a leading premium global beverage company dedicated to
producing and marketing quality beer, wine and leisure products to millions of
consumers across the world. Foster's makes and markets many of Australia's most
famous beers, including Foster's Lager and Victoria Bitter. Mildara Blass is
Foster's international wine business and the leading premium wine producer in
Australia. Its wine brands are some of Australia's best-known labels, including
Wolf Blass, Black Opal, Greg Norman Estates, Yellowglen and Jamiesons Run.
Mildara Blass premium wines are sold in more than 67 markets around the world
and its winemakers are recognized as being among the best in the world.
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FURTHER INFORMATION:
MEDIA
GRAEME WILLERSDORF NICOLE DEVLIN
+61 3 9633 2073 +61 3 9633 2265
0418 288 400 0418 202 375
INVESTOR RELATIONS
DOMENIC PANACCIO
+61 3 9633 2273
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