Accolade Wines opposes Treasury, Pernod Ricard on price rises

Four out of five bottles and casks of wine will increase in price if the federal government imposes a volumetric tax on the industry, the chief executive of Australia’s second largest wine company, Accolade Wines, has warned. John Ratcliffe, head of Accolade, which is 80 per cent owned by private equity firm CHAMP, is firmly rejecting a push by his two big rivals Treasury Wine Estates and Pernod Ricard, who’ve broken ranks to advocate for a flat tax for wine. The move has angered most of the remaining 2500 wine companies in Australia, who are annoyed at the duo’s surprise stance.