Accolade Wines to combine with Pernod Ricard

Australian Wine Holdco Limited (AWL), a consortium of international institutional investors, has announced its intention to create a more efficient and diversified global wine business by combining wholly owned Accolade Wines with Pernod Ricard’s Australian, New Zealand and Spanish wine businesses.

AWL said the combined business will have a more diversified portfolio of complementary old and new world wine labels, as well as operations in every continent, and it will be in a better position to meet the challenges facing the wine industry.

The Pernod Ricard assets to be included in the combined business comprise a portfolio of international brands operated by Pernod Ricard Winemakers with over 10 million 9 L cases produced annually from three origins. These include Jacob’s Creek, Orlando and St Hugo from Australia; Stoneleigh, Brancott Estate and Church Road from New Zealand; and Campo Viejo, Ysios, Tarsus and Azpilicueta from Spain. The assets are an integrated platform from vineyard to bottle including seven wineries.

Accolade Wines is a fully integrated business, managing the entire supply chain from grape to glass. Its portfolio comprises wine brands such as Hardys, Grant Burge, Banrock Station, St Hallett and Petaluma, as well as modern brands such as Mud House, Dolly Wines, Jam Shed, J-Harden and Wise Wolf by Banrock Station.

AWL spokesperson Joshua Hartz said: “Both Accolade Wines and Pernod Ricard have a long, proud history as world-class wine producers. 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. Backed by AWL, the combined business will be better able to adapt to changing consumer tastes and meet the structural challenges facing the global wine industry.”

The price was not disclosed and the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals.

Image credit: iStock.com/courtneyk