April 11, 2001

NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Gary L. Hess, President (707) 824-2548

Headline: SonomaWest Holdings Announces Results of Tender Offer

SEBASTOPOL,  CA  ....................  SonomaWest Holdings,  Inc. (NASDAQ: SWHI)
(formerly  Vacu-dry  Company)  today  announced  the  results of the  successful
completion  of its cash tender  offer to  purchase  up to 500,000  shares of its
common  stock at a price of $8.00 per share.  The cash tender  offer,  which was
oversubscribed,  expired at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard time, on Wednesday, April
4, 2001.

SonomaWest Holdings, Inc. (the "Company") announced,  that approximately 776,611
shares of the  Company's  common  stock  (approximately  51% of the  outstanding
shares of common  stock) were  properly  tendered  and not  properly  withdrawn,
including  approximately  4,100 shares  subject to guarantees  of delivery.  The
Company  will  accept the  properly  tendered  shares on a pro rata  basis.  The
proration factor for the tender offer is  approximately  64.07% after accounting
for the  approximately  6,768 odd lot shares  subject to  repurchase  in full in
accordance with the terms of the offer. The total purchase price for the 500,000
shares being purchased  pursuant to the offer is $4,000,000.  Payment for shares
accepted for payment,  and return of all other  shares  tendered,  will occur on
April 11, 2001.

This  announcement  is not an offer to purchase,  a solicitation  of an offer to
purchase or a solicitation of consent with respect to any securities. The tender
offer is being made solely by the Offer to Purchase  dated  January 8, 2001,  as
amended.

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