Two leading players in the New World wine business are combining resources to create new wine ranges they will sell worldwide. The family run businesses of Rosemount Estates from the Hunter Valley in Australia and Robert Mondavi from Oakville in California have created a joint venture to produce and market two new wine lines, one from Australia, the other from California. The collaboration aims to make use of the best of both worlds to create super premium and luxury wines which will be sold under proprietary brand names which convey the joint participation. They will be from the 2000 vintage in California and the 2001 in Australia and will be made by winemakers Philip Shaw of Rosemount and Tim Mondavi. Rosemount founder Bob Oatley said: "This venture is a logical and natural alliance and offers a unique opportunity to expand globally while preserving our autonomy. The ability to work together on winemaking and viticulture in both countries creates enormous potential." Mondavi chief executive Michael Mondavi said: "This allows us to add a world class Shiraz to our luxury wine portfolio while participating in the growth of the Australian super premium wine segment." Mondavi will sell the joint venture's Australian wines around the world while Rosemount will sell its Californian wines. The two companies also intend to explore other areas of compatibility within their operations. Mondavi also has collaborative ventures with Baroness Philippine de Rothschild in Bordeaux, the Marchesi de' Frescobaldi in Tuscany, and the Chadwick family of Viña Errázuriz in Chile. {{DRINKS }}

Topics