Australian Wine Holdco Limited (AWL, owner of Accolade Wines) → Pernod Ricard's portfolio of strategic international wine brands
completedAustralian Wine Holdco Limited (AWL), a consortium of international institutional investors (including Bain Capital, Intermediate Capital Group, Capital Four, Sona Asset Management and Samuel Terry Asset Management) and owner of Accolade Wines, agreed on 16 July 2024 to acquire Pernod Ricard's portfolio of strategic international wine brands and seven associated wineries across Australia, New Zealand and Spain. The portfolio included Jacob's Creek, Orlando, St Hugo, Stoneleigh, Brancott Estate, Church Road, Campo Viejo, Ysios, Tarsus and Azpilicueta. The deal received Australian competition (ACCC) approval in October 2024 and completed effective 30 April 2025, with the combined wine business subsequently rebranded as Vinarchy.
Accolade Wines/AWL sought to build global scale in wine at a time of industry consolidation, combining its existing portfolio with Pernod Ricard's international brands and winery infrastructure to create one of the world's largest standalone wine companies (later named Vinarchy), strengthening distribution reach and brand depth across key export markets.
Pernod Ricard exited its lower-margin, capital-intensive table wine business to sharpen focus on its core premium spirits and Champagne portfolio, consistent with its stated "premiumisation" strategy and desire to redirect capital and management attention to higher-growth, higher-margin categories.
Not directly applicable to Australian Wine Holdco/Accolade (privately held). Pernod Ricard (Euronext Paris: RI) did not see a material standalone share price reaction attributable to this divestment, which was a small transaction relative to the group's overall size.
Trade press framed the deal as a major restructuring of the global wine industry, consolidating two large volume wine portfolios amid a prolonged downturn in wine demand, and as evidence of major spirits groups (like Pernod Ricard) retreating from lower-margin wine categories to focus on premium spirits.
Deal mechanics
Asset/brand-and-winery sale by Pernod Ricard Winemakers (producers in Australia, New Zealand and Spain) to Australian Wine Holdco Limited; financial terms were not fully disclosed by either party, though press reports referenced an estimated deal value in the order of A$500 million.
Cleared by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in October 2024.
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Learn more
- Pernod Ricard to Sell Its Portfolio of Strategic International Wines to Australian Wine Holdco Limited
- Successful completion of the sale of Pernod Ricard's portfolio of strategic international wines to Australian Wine Holdco Limited
- Accolade Wines owner buys Pernod Ricard's global wine assets - Business News Australia
- ACCC approves Accolade and Pernod Ricard wine merger - Drinks Digest
- Vinarchy emerges from Accolade and Pernod Ricard Winemakers merger - National Liquor News