De Bortoli Wines has confirmed it has acquired the Rutherglen Estates vineyards, winery and tourism facility in the Victorian town of Rutherglen.
The family said that the acquisition is part of its growth strategy as it looks to make the most of the premiumisation trend which is key part of the Australian market.
In statement about the purchase, the family said: “Most of De Bortoli Wines’ vineyard acquisition and expansion has been in the key winemaking regions of Victoria. The Rutherglen vineyard purchase complements the family’s existing premium Victorian vineyard holdings in the Yarra Valley, King Valley and Heathcote wine regions.
“Rutherglen Estates also provides De Bortoli Wines with a third winemaking facility in addition to the business’ Riverina and Yarra Valley sites. The proximity to its Riverina operations is also an advantage.”
They added: “Based on growing customer interest and strong sales forecasts, the De Bortoli family is confident that premium quality Victorian red wine with density, freshness and interest will increasingly be in high demand both domestically and internationally.
“Heathcote and the North Eastern regions of Victoria are ideally suited to this type of wine, so the family has continued expanding the business into these areas with both the purchase of established vines as well as the planting of new vineyards.”
This purchase brings De Bortoli’s total Victorian vineyard holdings to 820 hectares, with 700HA bearing fruit and 120HA being in development. The family said it estimates that its Victorian vineyards will produce over seven million bottles of wine by 2025, adding that they will continue to look for other expansion opportunities.