Neil McGuigan has joined Mildara Blass in an effort to re-establish its flagging Rothbury Estate label, bought in 1996 from a group of shareholders headed by Len Evans. Beset by winemaking problems and a confusing mishmash of labels, Rothbury has become something of a dinosaur in the Mildara Blass folio. The deal involves Mildara Blass purchasing McGuigan’s 50% stake in the small and highly successful Briar Ridge operation in the Lower Hunter which produces around 32,000 cases yearly. McGuigan will oversee expenditure of $5 million over the next 3 years to improve Rothbury’s winemaking facilities. Briar Ridge will continue as a stand-alone brand.
