Randall Wine Group (RWG) has acquired another four vineyards in McLaren Vale, making RWG the largest vineyard holder in the region.
The RWG acquired 100 per cent ownership of Tinlins Wines three years ago and the new vineyard acquisitions were purchased under the Tinlins banner.
The largest of these is the 150-acre Sellicks Hill vineyard. The four new vineyards are planted to 100 per cent red varieties with 50 per cent planted to Cabernet Sauvignon. These new acquisitions now make Tinlins and RWG the largest vineyard holder in McLaren Vale with 1,850 acres under vine.
This follows RWG’s recent investment in another 800 acres of Tanunda Hill vineyards in the Barossa Valley in August under its Seppeltsfield banner. That investment brought RWG’s total vineyard holdings in the Barossa up to 4,000 acres, which is also the largest ever vineyard holdings by a single producer in the Barossa.
This means the RWG has now aggressively acquired 1,880 acres in South Australia’s premium wine growing districts, including 300 acres in Langhorne Creek and 430 acres in Currency Creek this calendar year.
Warren Randall, Executive Chairman, RWG, says that South Australia is well positioned to supply the burgeoning Chinese demand for red wine because the area produces 82 per cent of Australia’s premium red. So, the recent spree of acquisitions in the region will put RWG in a strong position to supply that demand.
He also prompted Australian winemakers to be ‘China ready’ as China drinks over 90 per cent of its total consumption of red wine and is expected to be the largest consumer of wine in the world, surpassing the US within the next 15 to 20 years.
He added, “with our Chinese free trade agreement now at zero per cent import duty from the 1 January this year, Australian winemakers should continue to visit China and further strengthen their relationships with regards to trust and respect.
“The strength of these relationships will hold Australia in very good stead and in a powerful position to be a preferred international supplier of wine to the Chinese people in the decades to come.”
Seppeltsfield crowned best in the region
Seppeltsfield Wines has been crowned with the most prestigious award – 2019 Premier’s Award for Service Excellence as well as 2019 Best Winery, Distillery or Brewery in South Australia, at the state’s tourism awards.
The Premier’s Award recognises South Australian tourism businesses for their “excellent service policies and procedures to building strong, long lasting customer relationships”.
The 2019 Best Winery, Distillery or Brewery award to Seppeltsfield Wines follows the same in 2018 – giving the estate back to back ‘best of’ status.
Seppeltsfield Wines will go onto represent South Australia at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards in Canberra, Friday 6 March 2020.