Accolade buys Chilean producer Viña Anakena

By Nigel Huddleston

Published: 15 September, 2015

Accolade Wines claims to be the first company to have a presence in each of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, North America and South America after buying Chilean producer Viña Anakena.

Anakena has export sales in 50 markets and joins an Accoalde portfolio that includes the Australian brands Hardys, Grant Burge Wines and Banrock, South Africa's Flagstone, Fish Hoek and Kumala, California's Geyser Peak, Atlas Peak and Echo Falls and New Zealand's Mud House and Waipara Hills.

The acquisition includes all the brands and inventory, a winery, a vineyard, cellar door and VIP tasting room.

Accolade chairman Nick Greiner said Accolade: "Our customer knowledge and sophisticated distribution systems will build on Anakena's foundations, as we did with New Zealand's Mud House, quickly building it into a million case brand in the UK."

The current management team, headed by managing director Ricardo Letelier and winemaker Gavin Taylor are being retained.

"Accolade has a track record of looking after and growing brands," Letelier said.

"Accolade has demonstrated through its acquisitions of Geyser Peak in 2012, Mud House in 2014, and Grant Burge Wines early this year, that it not only preserves the unique identity and heritage of its brands but can bring its global expertise to bear to grow brands that it brings into the company."

"We see our involvement as a significant opportunity for Anakena and our team."

Anakena's founders Felipe Ibáñez and Jorge Gutiérrez said in a statement: "As we pass the business onto Accolade we look forward to seeing the great wines of Anakena available to more consumers in more countries. Bringing Accolade to Chile will be positive for both Anakena and the Chilean wine industry in general."

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