Domestic Doubting Thomases of the Australian wine industry’s growth plans may be interested to learn of Pernod Ricard’s recent $50 million capital injection into its Australian subsidiary of Orlando Wyndham, a sum entirely directed to help the company rapidly increase wine production to meet its ambitious export plans. $35 million is earmarked for winery expansion, including a second $3 million high-speed bottling line at Rowland Flat (Barossa Valley) able to bottle at 22,000 bottles an hour. More than two thirds of Jacob’s Creek’s current production of over 2 million cases is already exported.
