Australian supermarket chain Woolworths acquires McLaren Vale winery
A McLaren Vale winery has been snapped up by a subsidiary of Australian supermarket giant Woolworths for an undisclosed sum.
Chapel Hill Winery has been acquired by Endeavour Drinks, part of Woolworths, and will become part of the group’s new wine division called Paragon Wine Estates. It will sit along the existing stable of wine brands which currently include Krondorf (Barossa Valley), Isabel Estate (Marlborough) and Riddoch (Coonawarra).
Chapel Hill was previously owned by privately-held Swiss company Permafix.
Managing director of Endeavour Drinks, Steve Donohue, described the acquisition as an "important step" in further enhancing the company's wine division ahead of the forthcoming AU$10 billion merger which will see Endeavour Drinks and hospitality group ALH join forces in 2020 to become a standalone business.
"Welcoming Chapel Hill to the group has inspired the creation of Paragon Wine Estates and is an exciting new element of our diverse Pinnacle Drinks business,” said Dononhue.
Endeavour's Pinnacle Drinks operation also includes grape growing partnerships across Australia and New Zealand, winemaking and storage facilities in Barossa and Marlborough and packaging and bottling facilities in Barossa and McLaren Vale.
The existing team at Chapel Hill and its grape growing contracts will remain unchanged. Chapel Hill, located near the Onkaparinga Gorge, was established in 1972 with its first vintage in 1975.
Endeavour Drinks also owns alcohol retailers Dan Murphy's and BWS, wine auctioneer Langtons, and online wine store Cellarmasters.