By Andy Young
Lion has officially opened its new Petaluma Winery and Cellar Door in the Adelaide Hills.
The winery, which is set on 30 hectares of land, was opened by South Australian Premier Jay Weatherhill, as well as Lion chairman Sir Rod Eddington and Lion CEO Stuart Irvine.
Weatherill said: "South Australia has a growing reputation for producing some of the finest wines in the world, and with a focus on premium wines, produced in our pristine environment, we can build a sustainable and internationally competitive wine industry.
"We welcome Lion’s continued investment in the state through the new Petaluma Winery and Cellar Door, and will continue to work with growers and producers to build a stronger food and wine sector in South Australia."
Irvine explained that the new winery will help the brands to increase capacity and meet increasing demand coming from Asia.
“This is a really exciting time for premium wine and the Petaluma and Croser brands," Irvine said.
"Our investment here in the Adelaide Hills will enable us to meet growing demand for our brands and build more over time, with our new Winery increasing our production capacity to 1.2 million bottles every year.
"We believe the increasing demand for premium products with great provenance in Asia is a big opportunity for the wine industry. Australia has some of the most iconic wine brands in the world and a picturesque landscape from which they are crafted. With a concerted effort to promote Australia as a quality, premium wine producer, and with the benefit of recently signed free trade agreements with China, Korea and Japan, the wine industry has a unique opportunity to shape its destiny and deliver long-term, sustainable growth in premium segments."