Banrock Station vineyard in the Riverland. Image Accolade Wines. Words Harrison Davies.

Accolade Wines have announced the sale of their Banrock Station vineyard holdings in the Riverland. The brand will remain a part of Accolade Wines’ portfolio.

The sale includes 235 hectares of vineyards across two holdings, mostly planted between 1993 and 1996, as well as the wine centre and wetland, included as a long-term lease with Accolade Wines.

“We can confirm we are at the early stages of exploring the potential sale of the vineyards at Banrock Station, not the brand itself,” a spokesperson for Accolade Wines said.

“As part of this process, we are exploring the possible sale and leaseback of the Banrock Station Wetland and Wine Centre, the cellar door and café.

“Sale-and-leaseback transactions are increasingly common in the Australian wine industry. Under any sale-and-leaseback arrangement, we would continue to operate the wine centre, cellar door and café as we do today.

The vineyards have an average annual production of 5,700 tonnes with the key varieties being Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Semillon and Chardonnay as well as a mix of other alternative varieties.

“The Banrock Station brand is a vital part of our global growth strategy, and we remain committed to building on its proud history of environmental preservation and its tradition of crafting great tasting wines,” the spokesperson continued.

“We will also continue to fulfil our long-term commitment to preserving the historic Banrock Station wetlands just as we have over the past 25 years.

“Under any scenario, the Banrock Station brand would remain part of the Accolade Wines portfolio.”

The sale of the vineyard is being facilitated by Langley & Co. and expressions of interest are open until Friday 5 May

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