Pepper Tree Wines, based in the Hunter Valley but with a well-known vineyard asset in Coonawarra, is for sale, following the decision of its major shareholder, James Fairfax, to call it a day. Pepper Tree’s folio includes a number of combinations of region and variety, plus a bewildering array of Reserve and ‘non-Reserve’ labels; but is perhaps best known for its Reserve Coonawarra Merlot, which has performed exceptionally well in the vintages of 1994, 1996 and 1998. The asking price for the business, which also includes a considerable stake in the Parker wine company, is in the vicinity of A$30-35 million.
