This Month
In ‘diabolical trouble’ – How big wine brands fell out of favour
Wolf Blass, who set up his eponymous wine brand almost 60 years ago, says the cheaper end of the wine sector is in ‘diabolical trouble’ but the cycle will turn positive again.
- Simon Evans
Treasury Wine to offload Wolf Blass, Lindeman’s, Yellowglen
Australia’s biggest wine group will cop a $354m impairment and shop around its cheaper wine brands as part of a strategic reset for the Penfolds owner.
- Simon Evans
Liquor giant Dan Murphy’s absorbs Penfolds price hikes
The retail chain’s managing director Agi Pfeiffer-Smith said the market is increasingly competitive and even shoppers seeking small luxuries want a deal.
- Carrie LaFrenz
July
The suburbs where Australians drink the most champagne
Baby boomers are big drinkers of imported bubbles, but younger consumers are driving demand for alternatives such as prosecco.
- Michael Bleby
- Exclusive
- Wine & spirits
Langtons eyes $1m sales from vintage Champagne auction
The Australian fine wine marketplace is partnering with expert Tyson Stelzer to offer rare European and wartime vintages.
- Carrie LaFrenz
Pernod Ricard exits Australian wine making, sells to Bain consortium
The French giant’s portfolio of local brands – as well as those in New Zealand and Spain – will be combined with Accolade Wines, the company behind Hardys.
- Kylar Loussikian
Seppeltsfield buys up as Australian Vintage offloads two vineyards
The ASX-listed producer behind McGuigan and Tempus Two will exit one property in NSW and sell another in South Australia to its privately owned rival.
- Kylar Loussikian
June
- Updated
- Treasury Wine Estates
Treasury Wine’s profits buoyed as Penfolds goes all in on China
Treasury says Penfolds profits will grow 15 per cent this year, but margins will fall as the company spends more rebuilding its export business to China.
- Updated
- Simon Evans
May
Accolade Wines ends merger talks, Australian Vintage to raise capital
Shares in the owner of McGuigan and Tempus Two wine brands have been suspended as debt levels rise to dangerous levels, with a potential back-door listing of Australia’s No.2 player, Accolade off the table for now.
- Simon Evans
Australian Vintage shops $30m equity raise as Accolade walks
Street Talk understands Australian Vintage was warming up investors for a circa $30 million raising over the weekend, in a deal expected to be done at a high, double-digit discount.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
Blow for Bain and Accolade Wines as growers reject grape deal
The wine group says the contract has been handicapping it for years in an oversupplied market, as investors in smaller player Australian Vintage brace for bad news.
- Simon Evans
- Exclusive
- Tourism
On Hamilton, a family dynasty bets there’s more money in islands
After showing potential buyers around last year, Sandy Oatley and his family are instead developing a new resort as they double down on the island.
- Primrose Riordan
Uncorked: Accolade Wines locked in negotiations with Pernod Ricard
In short, if Pernod moves into the ‘trop difficile’ basket, Australian Vintage is waiting in the wings.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
AusVintage turmoil may strengthen Accolade’s hand: Allan Gray
The boss of Allan Gray, with a 17pc stake in Australian Vintage, is concerned larger player Accolade Wines may seize on management upheaval to drive a harder bargain.
- Simon Evans
McGuigan owner Australian Vintage dumps CEO over ‘conduct’ issues
The ousted CEO of Australian Vintage, Craig Garvin, is ‘considering legal options’, while the chairman says his exit won’t have an impact on merger talks with Accolade.
- Updated
- Simon Evans
April
- Exclusive
- Property development
Acuity Development has $300m plan for Yarra Valley aerodrome and farm
The developer, which sources both projects and investors, has grand plans for the Yarra Valley’s only sealed airstrip and neighbouring farm.
- Michael Bleby
This Rich Lister sees a wave of distressed wine sales coming
The MD of Casella Family Brands, owner of Australia’s biggest-selling wine export brand Yellow Tail, says the under $10 per bottle segment is still shrinking.
- Simon Evans
Treasury Wines to lift Penfolds prices as China loosens tariffs
The country’s largest wine producers say there has been an immediate increase in demand from importers after Beijing loosened trade restrictions last week.
- Updated
- Simon Evans and Michael Smith
March
Rebuilding wine sales in China to take time: minister
Assistant Trade Minister Tim Ayres welcomed China’s removal of tariffs on Australian wine but said rebuilding the $1.1 billion trade will take time.
- Tess Ikonomou
- Analysis
- China relations
China’s trade coercion tactics on ice as wine tariffs removed
With the end of the tariffs, Australia is being lauded as an example in other sanction-hit countries like Japan, Korea and Taiwan of how to stand up to Beijing’s bullying.
- Updated
- Michael Smith
