REVIEW: Supplying consistency across a vast geographical area is a challenge Vinarchy Wines has embraced.
ESTABLISHED in 2025 after the merger of Accolade Wines and Pernod Ricard Winemakers, Vinarchy Wines is now a global wine company.
Its vineyards stretch across South Australia, through Western Australia, into Victoria’s alpine regions and down to Tasmania. The portfolio encompasses brands that have shaped the Australian wine history for more than 175 years.
For chief winemaker Australia Dan Swincer, however, the real story is not just size. It’s scope, diversity and opportunity.
Vinarchy’s brands are led by Hardys, Campo Viejo and Jacob’s Creek, with many others that are household names.
Its winemaking base remains SA but extends to Margaret River and the Great Southern with historic labels such as Houghton and Brookland Valley. In Victoria, high-altitude sites in Alpine Valley and King Valley (and Tumbarumba, just across the border in NSW) provide precision fruit for sparkling wine and premium chardonnay.
Tasmania, meanwhile, supplies pinot noir and chardonnay of distinctive clarity and finesse.
This geographic sweep allows Vinarchy to present what Mr Swincer describes as a genuine cross-section of Australian wine.
Such breadth feeds directly into the structure of the portfolio. At one end are the commercial wines, while at the other are super-premium releases that speak to regional identity, site expression and sympathetic winemaking.
Mr Swincer says maintaining nuance across that spectrum is the central challenge. The answer, he says, lies in people: experienced winemakers, growers and viticulturists who understand tradition and innovation, and who see themselves as custodians rather than simply producers.
Premium wines such as those under the Eileen Hardy and Houghton labels exemplify that philosophy.
Yet Mr Swincer is unequivocal that premium alone does not define success. The commercial portfolio is the bedrock of the business. Facilities such as Berri Estates Winery, the biggest winery in the Southern Hemisphere, enable consistency at scale; an achievement he regards as both technically demanding and strategically essential.
Mr Swincer draws on the philosophy of former chief winemaker Phillip Laffer of Jacob’s Creek, who famously observed that anyone can craft small volumes of exceptional wine if they throw enough resources at it. The true test, however, is producing high-quality commercial wine year after year, at significant volume, without compromise.
It is a deceptively simple insight. Commercial winemaking requires rigorous vineyard sourcing, disciplined blending, technological precision and an unrelenting focus on consistency. Vintage variation must be managed without losing brand identity. Price accessibility must never come at the expense of drinkability.
Mr Swincer says this is not secondary work; it is the foundation upon which the entire portfolio rests.
When consumers believe in a brand’s reliability, they are more willing to follow it into new styles, formats and categories.
This week I have chosen three wines from the extensive portfolio that deliver at a modest price. I could have chosen many, but these should do nicely.
Jacobs Creek Classic riesling 2025 ($10)
Talk about punching above its weight. This is probably the best Australian example I can think of. How the quality is maintained at such a high level continues to amaze. The colour is a pale straw, while the nose shows the citrus florals and a trace of scented jasmine. It’s crisp and clean, and ideal for current drinking with seafood, especially.
Score: 92/100
Cellar: Four years
Grant Burge East Argyle pinot gris 2023 ($28)
Sourced from the Macclesfield area in the Adelaide Hills, this pinot gris is made in the classic, more generous gris style, focusing on mouthfeel and texture. Machine-picked and pressed with precision, the wine got 5 per cent new oak and a short four-month barrel ageing to enhance its phenolic structure. The result is a textured, layered wine with a balance of freshness and richness, perfect for those seeking a more complex white.
Score: 90/100
Cellar: Three to five years
Stoneleigh Latitude sauvignon blanc 2023 ($25)
Hailing from Marlborough’s Raupura Road, this sauvignon blanc is a vibrant expression of the region. With wild ferments and minimal intervention, the wine showcases guava, ripe tropical fruits, and a touch of funkiness. Its punchy acidity and textured palate make it unmistakably Marlborough, yet with a little tweak that sets it apart.
Score: 91/100
Cellar: Two to three years
• Ray Jordan is one of Australia’s most experienced and respected wine journalists, contributing to newspapers and magazines over more than 40 years. In 2017 he co-authored The Way it Was: The History of the early years of the Margaret River Wine Region
