Cover: The June issue of Grapegrower & Winemaker features a fascinating training technique used on Assyrtiko vines in Greece, which was trialled in the Clare Valley by winemaker Peter Barry. Also in these pages, Sandy Hathaway takes us through what to expect for inland winegrape pricing for the next vintage, and HR experts Ilga Horvat and Linda Blackett lay out their strategies for smarter hiring. Ian Jeffery turns his attention to preventing tank and vessel failures in the winery, and we take a closer look at the study developing a biological control for crown gall.
REGULARS
6 What’s online
6 In this issue
19 International briefs
20 My View: Towards a brighter future…?
22 R&D at Work
85 Producer Profile: Eloise Jarvis
88 Looking Back
88 Calendar
89 Marketplace classifieds
NEWS
7 Introducing Vinarchy: Australia’s newest wine company
8 China’s demand for premium wine will not solve Australia’s oversupply
10 A legacy to continue: Wirra Wirra acquires Hahndorf Hill
12 “Ripe for change”: Wine critic and Dan Murphy’s co-founder spy opportunity in wine retail
13 Wine Communicators of Australia welcomes new executive officer
14 Wine sector must engage emerging talent or risk losing them to other industries, says ASVO
16 Leadership changes for major wine companies as new CEOs appointed
18 Family wineries shine at the 2025 Langhorne Creek Wine Show
GRAPEGROWING
26 Inside the crown gall trial underway at the University of Adelaide
30 FEATURE What are grape prices in the inland regions likely to do in 2026?
34 Mgaloblishvili and its new downy mildew-resistant genome
35 FEATURE Greek grape no basket case in new Clare home
42 Impact of climate change on the aroma of red wines: A focus on cooked fruit aromas
48 Yarra Valley growers switch away from old chemistry
WINEMAKING
52 FEATURE Tanks, but no tanks
59 FEATURE Pressing forward: The evolution of crushing and pressing
63 SA secures lion’s share of Australian wine exports to China
64 Behind the Top Drops: Best’s Great Western 2020 Thomson Family Shiraz
68 Improving profitability and productivity: AI and reliability centred maintenance
BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY
73 Winning the talent war
77 Unpacking wine: Rethinking packaging from grape to glass
SALES &
MARKETING
80 The quiet force behind Australian wine’s global reach
83 Future Leaders announced for 2025
Introducing Vinarchy: Australia’s newest wine company
The outcome of the Pernod Ricard and Accolade Wines merger is an all-new wine company: Vinarchy.
The owner of Accolade, Australian Wine Holdco Limited (AWL), has combined the wine company’s assets with those it recently acquired from Pernod Ricard: the Australian, New Zealand and Spanish arms of Pernod Ricard’s wine business.
The corporate name Vinarchy combines Vin (the French word for wine), with Archy (from the Ancient Greek word for leadership).
Beverage industry veteran Danny Celoni has been appointed as CEO, having spent 18 years at Diageo across various executive roles and previously serving as CEO of PepsiCo Australia and New Zealand. Celoni has over 25 years of FMCG and global branded beverage experience, and most recently held the CEO position at Carlton and United Breweries (part of the Asahi Group).
Celoni said he believed Vinarchy was well-positioned to “play a leading role” in the growth and expansion of wine.
Vinarchy’s current executive chairman Ben Clarke will transition to non-executive chairman when Celoni’s CEO tenure commences in August 2025.
Clarke said he was “delighted” to welcome Celoni to the company.
“He is a leader who champions a growth mindset and has a strong track record in driving transformational growth and category leadership through exceptional customer relationships,” said Clarke.
Accolade Wines employees will transition to the new business from their current roles, with a “significant majority” of Pernod Ricard Winemakers employees also joining Vinarchy.
Vinarchy is already one of the world’s largest specialist wine companies, with more than AU$1.5 billion in annual net sales revenue. The business is focused on wine, comprising a multitude of leading wine brands, which it operates across multiple countries with distribution all around the world, and more than 1,600 employees globally.
The company has 11 wineries in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Spain, producing more than 32 million 9LE cases annually, and owns Berri Estates, the largest winery in the Southern Hemisphere.
From big things bigger things grow
Ben Clarke said Vinarchy will bring scale and innovation to global winemaking.
“We believe Vinarchy can lead the future of the wine category,” said Clarke. “We will be a dedicated wine company, with scale, capability, reach, resources, talent, and an exceptional portfolio of leading brands. We want to redefine wine.
“The global wine industry faces serious structural challenges. Global wine consumption has been declining for years, driven by changing consumer preferences and a shift to lower-alcohol
drinks. Vinarchy will be bold and imaginative in meeting these challenges. With our enhanced scale, brand investment program, innovation capability and industry-leading talent, we believe can meet many of the challenges that the industry faces.”
The creation of Vinarchy is the result of AWL’s transition planning since July 2024, which aims for a smooth combination of assets.
Vinarchy brands include the three global pillars of Hardys, Campo Viejo, and Jacob’s Creek, which between them had annual consumer sales of more than AU$2 billion in 2024.
Alongside these brands, Vinarchy holds the number one market position in New Zealand with Stoneleigh, Brancott Estate, and Mud House.
The Vinarchy portfolio also includes Australian brands Grant Burge, Jam Shed, and Petaluma and a range of fine wines from all regions including St Hugo, St Hallett, Orlando, Church Rd, Ysios, and Tarsus.
Vinarchy said it is expected customers and distributors will have minimal disruption. Pernod Ricard will continue to distribute the former Pernod Ricard Winemakers portfolio under transitional distribution agreements for a period of time to support a smooth transition.
Shortly after Vinarchy’s initial launch early last month, Clarke revealed plans to pare back the group’s 150-brand stable to a figure closer to 100. According to the Australian Financial Review, Clarke explained that the company intended to refine its focus by investing more in its hero brands Jacob’s Creek, Hardys and Campo Viejo.
“We can see a few waves getting it to about 100. Obviously, it’s a global business, and we will do it by geography and by brand,” Clarke told the AFR
Vinarchy CEO Danny Celoni
What are grape prices in the inland regions likely to do in 2026?
By Sandy Hathaway, Senior Analyst, Wine Australia
It may feel as though vintage 2025 is barely over, but growers are already likely to be planning for the 2025-26 season and making decisions regarding vineyard management and grape production.
One of the most important considerations in growers’ decision-making is — of course — what price they are likely to get for their grapes, and how that compares with the cost of production. Some growers may already know what they will get paid for their fruit next vintage if they have an existing contract that specifies price, but many will not receive an offer price until much later in the season after the majority of input costs have been incurred.
How can you find out the indications for grape prices?
Growers don’t have to wait for offer prices to find out the likely direction that prices will move next year. There are several sources of information that they can use to get a good indication of what prices might be, or at least in which direction they are likely to move. The following are three of the best examples: all independent, free, trustworthy and relevant.
Based on the combination of indicators, particularly export average values, Ciatti global bulk wine offer prices and the stock-to-sales ratio for Australian wine, the arrow is currently indicating upward pressure on grape prices for the major inland reds (Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) in 2026 compared with the average 2025 price…
The price received this year
It might be stating the obvious, but the price a grower received this year is the best guide to next year’s price. Whether prices are trending up, down or staying flat, they are unlikely to move more than 10 per cent or so from this year’s baseline, so growers can work on this year’s price as a good starting point.
If growers don’t have a price from the recent vintage, or are looking at selling to a completely different buyer, then they can also get a guide from the Wine Australia National Vintage Survey Dashboard (see below) which will give the average price by region and variety for the past 10+ years, as well as price dispersion (the range of prices rather than just the average). The prices from the most recent vintage become available from early July which might be a bit late depending on the decisions a grower is making, but even looking at the published price from the year before and the long-term trend will give a good indication.
The Wine Australia Grape Price Indicators Dashboard
The Wine Australia Grape Price Indicators Dashboard is a free, online
Crushing & Pressing
Pressing forward: The evolution of crushing and pressing
As advancements in crushing and pressing technology continue to reshape winemaking, the industry is embracing innovation to enhance efficiency, juice quality and sustainability. Speaking to Grapegrower & Winemaker, managing director at FB*PROPAK, Paul Baggio, explains the latest developments and trends related to this essential winery equipment.
Q: What are the most significant advancements in crushing and pressing technology that have emerged recently, and how are they impacting winemaking efficiency and quality?
One of the most notable shifts in recent years has been the migration of crushing and destemming to the harvester, allowing grape stems to be returned to the vineyard as organic matter. This has lessened the burden on traditional winery crushers and placed more emphasis on the press as the primary point of juice extraction. With grapes now arriving as whole berries or in juice form, rather than as stem-laden must,
press systems are playing a larger role in quality extraction and yield.
This change has simplified the liquid separation process and led to a noticeable increase in free-run juice volumes. The quality benefits are clear: eliminating stem material early in the process reduces harsh phenolic pickup and enhances aromatic purity. Press systems now focus less on speed and more on intelligent, robust design—offering smart automation, easier cleaning, and reduced need for complex bag changes. Affordable, durable press options are increasingly capable of handling this new Paul Baggio
The quiet force behind Australian wine’s global reach
How our government, industry and scientific partnership keeps bottles moving across borders
The work behind market access is precise, often invisible and essential. The unique collaboration between the Australian wine sector’s government, industry and scientific organisations — the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), Australian Grape & Wine, Wine Australia and the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) — is central to enhancing opportunities for Australian grapegrowers and winemakers.
With around 60 per cent of Australian wine destined for export, international market access is critical to the success of the sector. That’s why the role of this collaborative group can’t be understated; each organisation is dedicated to supporting wine exporters, making it easier for exporters to trade internationally by reducing barriers, avoiding unnecessary costs, and simplifying export requirements to keep
We focus on identifying trade barriers early, prioritising issues that impact commercial viability, and working across government and industry to secure practical, long-term solutions that supports favourable market access, which allows the Australian wine sector to remain competitive.
Lee McLean
Australian wine businesses globally competitive.
A united voice in trade and technical discussions and decisions
In working towards a shared goal — facilitating Australian wine trade with as few impediments and costs as possible, while maintaining its high-quality reputation — each organisation plays a distinct role and brings unique expertise to support international wine trade and market access. From international political engagement to navigating tariff and non-tariff technical barriers to trade, advancing regulatory reforms to broader bilateral collaboration, this work plays a significant role in diversifying, protecting and expanding Australia’s presence in global wine markets. Without these ongoing efforts, exporters
Australia’s representatives at last October’s World Wine Trade Group meeting in Adelaide. Images courtesy Wine Australia
