Thinking of a career change?

Consolidation of the industry, led particularly by Australian Vintage, Constellation, Foster’s and Pernod Ricard, has reduced both the number of senior positions and the demand for more hands-on winemakers. The traditional nomadic winemaker workforce, whose members seek experience during vintages in both hemispheres, will find the search for jobs much harder in Australia this year.

In the face of the clamour for increased taxes on wine by the health lobby, the South Australian Premier has pleaded with the Federal Government to retain the existing Wine Equalization Tax (WET) regime in order to save jobs in the state’s vital wine industry. Federal taxation policies are currently under exhaustive review and the WET currently provides significant rebates for small producers. The tax has long been considered discriminatory by some other sections of the drinks industry.