Mid-sized wineries the next target
Mid-sized wine producers have become the latest target in a wave of takeover activity as the mega-mergers between Southcorp and Rosemount Wines, Foster’s Mildara Blass with the US producer Beringer, and Lion Nathan’s takeover of Petaluma and Banksia wines are being integrated. According to Johnson Taylor analyst Mark Topy, the big companies have got their hands full at the moment. "Southcorp will offload some brands, BRL does not need any more brands and Foster’s is focused internationally." But British drinks group Allied Domecq should continue to shop around for an Australian wine producer to complete its Australasian wine portfolio after buying New Zealand’s Montana Wines in 2001. Between 1997 and 2002 the tonnage of wine crushed has doubled from 775 000 tons to 1.4 million tons. 1....
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