Ben Clarke, executive chairman of Vinarchy. Image courtesy Vinarchy

The outcome of the Pernod Ricard and Accolade Wines merger is an all-new wine company: Vinarchy.

The owner of Accolade, Australian Wine Holdco Limited (AWL), has combined the wine company’s assets with those it recently acquired from Pernod Ricard: the Australian, New Zealand and Spanish arms of Pernod Ricard’s wine business.

The corporate name Vinarchy combines Vin (the French word for wine), with Archy (from the Ancient Greek word for leadership).

Accolade Wines employees will transition to the new business from their current roles, with a “significant majority” of Pernod Ricard Winemakers employees also joining Vinarchy.

Vinarchy is already one of the world’s largest specialist wine companies, with more than AU$1.5 billion in annual net sales revenue. The business is focused on wine, comprising a multitude of leading wine brands, which it operates across multiple countries with distribution all around the world, and more than 1,600 employees globally.

Vinarchy has 11 wineries in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Spain, producing more than 32 million 9LE cases annually, and owns Berri Estates, the largest winery in the Southern Hemisphere.

Vinarchy is led by executive chairman Ben Clarke, who has held a similar role at Accolade Wines since September 2024.

From big things bigger things grow

Ben Clarke said the new company will bring scale and innovation to global winemaking.

“We believe Vinarchy can lead the future of the wine category,” said Clarke. “We will be a dedicated wine company, with scale, capability, reach, resources, talent, and an exceptional portfolio of leading brands. We want to redefine wine.

“The global wine industry faces serious structural challenges. Global wine consumption has been declining for years, driven by changing consumer preferences and a shift to lower-alcohol drinks. Vinarchy will be bold and imaginative in meeting these challenges. With our enhanced scale, brand investment program, innovation capability and industry-leading talent, we believe can meet many of the challenges that the industry faces.

“I’m excited to be joined at Vinarchy by more than 1,600 colleagues around the globe. We will be an agile, high-performance organisation,” Clarke said.

The creation of Vinarchy is the result of AWL’s transition planning since July 2024, which aims for a smooth combination of assets.

Vinarchy brands include the three global pillars of Hardys, Campo Viejo, and Jacob’s Creek, which between them had annual consumer sales of more than AU$2 billion in 2024.

Alongside these brands, Vinarchy holds the number one market position in New Zealand with Stoneleigh, Brancott Estate, and Mud House.

The Vinarchy portfolio also includes Australian brands Grant Burge, Jam Shed, and Petaluma and a range of fine wines from all regions including St Hugo, St Hallett, Orlando, Church Rd, Ysios, and Tarsus.

Vinarchy said it is expected customers and distributors will have minimal disruption. Pernod Ricard will continue to distribute the former Pernod Ricard Winemakers portfolio under transitional distribution agreements for a period of time to support a smooth transition.

The board of Vinarchy is in advanced stages of selecting a chief executive officer and said it expects to formalise an appointment shortly.

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