By Annette Shailer
The Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA) and Australasian Associated Brewers Inc (AAB) will work with the Government to ensure no RTDs are made using ethanol stripped from wine or beer.
The brewers and winemakers have taken a strong stance to rule out the controversial overseas practice of replicating spirit-based RTDs using beer and wine bases.
WFA and AAB both made submissions to the recent Senate Community Affairs Committee Inquiry into RTDs, advising their intent to work with the government to close off the loophole so that it cannot be exploited.
WFA chief executive, Stephen Strachan, said the wine members were proud local producers of quality wines, focused on doing just that.
“We are happy to leave the manufacture of pre-mixed products to spirits manufacturers,” Strachan said.
The two organisations have signed separate letters to the government setting out the in-principle decisions and potential policy options on this matter for government consideration.