Editorial from Scott Mathis, Chairman & Founder - The Algodon
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The Algodon

Editorial from Scott Mathis, Chairman & Founder

Scott Mathis (left) with Jose Luic Clerc on the first completed court at Algodon Wine Estates' Tennis Center.
(click for fullsize)

This is truly beginning to look like a great year, though obviously not without its challenges.  We have some great projects and many notable achievements, and I am more convinced than ever that Argentina is the place to be right now.  Algodon Properties, IPG and DPEC Partners have experienced so much forward momentum in the past several weeks.  From gold medals for our wines and olive oil, our International award from Great Wine Capitals, the multitude of press and media mentions including the New York Times, to the hiring of a very accomplished wine consultant named Marcelo Pelleriti, and the opening of Algodon Mansion, is inspiring and motivating to everyone working on our projects.

Algodon Mansion's rooftop pool and spa, the restaurant design, the detail of each suite's décor, the cabinetry and wood work, the waterfall and lightwell, the lobby, patio, and humidor room all look elegant, and I feel that our opening will be the hit of Buenos Aires' new year!  Congrats to everyone involved in making this happen!  We believe that we have created a lot of value with all that we have built into this landmark property, and the "buzz" of anticipation for our Grand Opening is enormous. 

Based on our Wine Panel's recommendation (we already know that we have the potential), we hope to one day be recognized as the epicenter for the greatest Bonarda, not just in Argentina, but in the world.  We truly have a good chance to achieve this.  Our wines, which have already won multiple awards, are getting better with each year's harvest, and are selling well thanks to the hard work of our Wine Panel and marketing team.

Algodon Wine Estates Tennis Center is nearing completion, and the first tennis court is complete and ready for play.  We are just waiting on nets and fences for the rest, which otherwise have been completely built and are ready for play as well.  The back nine holes of the golf course are coming along well.  Everyone who sees the new landscape raves about how beautiful it is.  Though the grass is there, we've been advised to wait for the back nine to have an opportunity to really grow-in before our guests start playing on it.  Our goal is to do this right, so we're going to listen to the experts on this one, no matter how anxious our diehard golf guests are to break-in those new holes.

I have personally been working with Gerhard Heusch, Algodon Wine Estates' Design Architect, on the design for the first home that will be built at AWE, which will serve as a model home for interested homesite buyers sometime down the road.  It will be located on an olive orchard lot very close to the tennis courts.  The design is still in its earliest stages, and the architectural style we're working with was inspired by the wine country estate homes of France's Provence.  The Provence style features a heavy emphasis on its outdoor gardens and social entertainment/gathering spaces.  At this point in our design evolution, the homesite will include a main house that is approximately 400 m² (4300 ft²), a guest house that is approximately with a 70 m² (750 ft²), a garage, terrace, and pool.  This homesite will be built in stages, and once it is designed, we can move on to the other Algodon Wine Estates homesite models.

Needless to say that the reported record rise in tourism, the likes of which hasn't been seen since before the recession, bears well for Algodon properties.  According to estimates, occupancy rates should be good, so we all look forward to an exciting and busy season!

--Scott Mathis

For weekly insights and updates on our property developments, be sure to subscribe to Scott's personal blog at www.ScottMathis.com. 

Scott Mathis is the founder and Chairman of DPEC Partners, and as its driving force, he continues to create entrepreneurial ground-floor investment opportunities for high net-worth investors. With over 25 years in the financial industry, he has extensive experience in business, investment and management in both North and South America, and his wide-ranging entrepreneurial endeavors include conceiving and developing the luxury brand, Algodon. His experience includes positions at Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith, a partner at Oppenheimer and Company, as well as positions at Gruntal, Alex Brown and Sons, and The Boston Group. He is also the founder of DPEC Capital, Inc. (member of FINRA, SIPC, and SIA), InvestProperty Group, LLC, Algodon Properties, and InvestBio, Inc. Mr. Mathis has served on numerous boards throughout his career including the Board of Directors of The Vaccine Company and Kinexis, Inc. (which is currently performing early stage research for an Alzheimer's vaccine). He also serves as an observer on the Board of Directors for AmpliMed, Corp.

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