Endeavour Drinks acquires Australia’s Chapel Hill winery

Endeavour Drinks, part of Australia’s Woolworths Group, has acquired McLaren Vale winery Chapel Hill in Australia from Swiss company Permafix.

Under the deal, Endeavour Drinks will acquire Chapel Hill cellar door, which includes an ironstone chapel built in 1865, as well as associated buildings and 40ha under-vine.

Chapel Hill chief winemaker and CEO Michael Fragos said: “Our team will remain with Chapel Hill and the winery’s important relationships with grape growers will also remain unchanged as a result of this acquisition.

“Over the past five years, we have enjoyed a very close and successful working relationship with Endeavour Drinks.

“The team at Chapel Hill now enthusiastically look forward to working with the Endeavour team to continue to enhance the wonderful reputation and pedigree that Chapel Hill has garnered since it was established in 1971.”

The deal was executed by Endeavour Drinks’ Pinnacle Drinks business, which owns a range of wine assets, partnerships and capabilities in Australia, as well as New Zealand.

With the completion of the deal, Chapel Hill will become part of the newly created Paragon Wine Estates, which will also include Endeavour Drinks’ wine brands such as Krondorf, Isabel Estate and Riddoch.

Endeavour Drinks managing director Steve Donohue said: “This development is an important step in further enhancing our wine business ahead of the proposed transition of Endeavour Drinks to a stand-alone business after the planned merger with ALH in 2020.

“These great wine producers deserve special attention. Each one has a rich history and unique traditions which form the basis of their wonderful stories.”