New owner for major Australian and New Zealand wine labels

 

Some of the most famous wine brands in Australia and New Zealand have a new owner.

Labels including Jacob's Creek, St Hugo and Brancott Estate will now come under the Accolade banner, if government approval is forthcoming.

Accolade Wines and Pernod Ricard reached an agreement concerning the sale of 10 key wine brands, Drinks Trade is reporting.

The deal, signed in Paris on Tuesday night, will see Accolade. Australia’s second-largest wine producer acquire Pernod Ricard’s Australian, New Zealand, and Spanish wine brand portfolios. 

“Combining Accolade Wines with the Pernod Ricard assets will create a more certain and financially sustainable future for the business, allowing us to better serve our customers, in more segments and more geographies," said Joshua Hartz, spokesperson for Australian Wine Holdco Limited (AWL).

AWL became the equity owners of Accolade Wines in February this year.

The transaction includes the sale of Australian brands Jacob’s Creek, Orlando, and St Hugo, New Zealand brands Stoneleigh, Brancott Estate and Church Road, and Spanish brands Campo Viejo, Ysios, Tarsus and Azpilicueta.

Accolade Wines will acquire all associated assets of each brand, which includes an integrated platform from vineyard to bottle alongside seven wineries, Drinks Trade says.

Accolade is an international wine business with headquarters in South Australia. It has been owned by the Carlyle Group, an American company, since 2018. Bain Capital now holds a controlling interest. 

It makes wines under labels including Hardys, St Hallett, Grant Burge and Banrock Station, as well as Mud House in New Zealand.