Wine

Our global wine sector knowledge and industry specific expertise is unrivalled. We are the firm of choice for wine businesses.

We’ve got a dedicated wine team – people working in the wine industry all day, every day.

Our specialist Wine Group gives assistance to clients across Australia, from small family wineries through to the country’s biggest producers. We also have international wine industry clients.

Since 1993, Finlaysons has hosted an annual series of half-day seminars, which have become an institution in the wine industry calendar. The Finlaysons Wine Roadshow travels to ten or eleven leading Australian viticultural regions annually, to give legal and commercial advice to winemakers on topical industry issues relevant to their businesses.

Registrations are now OPEN for the Finlaysons Wine Roadshow 32! For more information, dates, venues and booking, please click here – Finlaysons Wine Roadshow 32

Finlaysons Lawyers are a proud member, affiliate member or partner of the following:

Finlaysons Sponsorships and Industry News

Finlaysons Lawyers are a proud Sponsor of the Royal Adelaide Wine Show.

The 2023 winner of the Finlaysons Trophy for Best Semillon in Show is s Brokenwood Wines – 2017 ILR Reserve Semillon. Congratulations to Brokenwood.

Royal Adelaide Wine Show
Photo: John Krüger

Pictured: Stuart Horden, Brokenwood Wines and Will Taylor, Finlaysons

2023 ICC Sydney NSW Wine Awards presentation lunch was held in late 2023. Finlaysons’ extend our congratulations to all winners and finalists – especially Justina and Jonathan for the following trophies:

Finlaysons Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon – Justina Tulloch, Tulloch 2022 Cellar Door Cabernet Sauvignon, Orange

Finlaysons Trophy for Best Other Red Wine Varietal – Jonathan Mattick, Canobolas Wines 2022 Cabernet Franc, Orange – with NSW Wine President Mark Bourne

Finlaysons Wine Partner Will Taylor recently joined Thomas Massey to share his perspectives on the state of play in the industry based on years of advising and also working in the wine industry.
A terrific listen!

The business side of wine – a conversation with Will Taylor – The Cellar Door Podcast | Podcast on Spotify

MEET THE TEAM CONTACT US

How we can help

We are Australia’s principal wine law team – no other firm in Australia has our depth and diversity of experience and expertise in wine law. We have worked with the Australian wine sector for decades; locally, interstate and overseas. Our understanding of the sector is unparalleled, but we know that it is critical that we also understand our clients’ specific business issues and commercial needs.

We act for wineries in all major viticultural regions of Australia. We also have foreign wine industry clients.

Our diverse client base includes some of the biggest beverage alcohol companies in the world, through to a large number of SME’s and a whole mass of small family wine businesses. As well as wineries, we also act for growers, suppliers to the wine sector, research bodies and national, state and regional wine industry associations.

We will work closely with you to help you achieve your business goals, with strategic, tailored and commercially relevant advice and documentation.

Finlaysons Wine Group provides a complete range of commercial legal services to a wine business of any nature or size. Our services include business structuring, mergers & acquisitions, capital raising, grape supply, wine supply, processing, bottling and distribution contracts, competition & consumer law issues, vineyard and winery sales, land divisions, water issues, intellectual property, workplace and occupational health & safety, tax, finance, succession, new product development and labelling. We are particularly experienced in wine business due diligence – you will receive a rigorous report because we know what to look for and where.

Although we are based in Adelaide, we are very much a national practice. We come to you when you want to see us.

Finlaysons is an active member of the Australian wine community.

We have been running the Finlaysons Wine Roadshow for over 30 years – visiting winemakers and grape growers on their own patch to provide practical, legal and commercial advice on critical business issues affecting the regions. We support the development of the sector through membership, sponsorships and working relationships with peak industry associations – collaboration in pursuit of continuous progression of the sector.

Australian Grape & Wine Inc. affiliate member
South Australia Wine Industry Association Inc. member
Wine Victoria member
Wines of Western Australia affiliate member
Wine Tasmania member
New South Wales Wine member
Wine Industry Suppliers Australia Inc. (WISA) member
Wine Communicators of Australia member

We are also the proud donor of 3 Vines to The Barossa Cellar – a regional wine museum that is the only facility of its kind in Australia. The Barossa Cellar represents a significant community investment in the future of the Barossa. Learn more here.

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Key services

Business structuring
Mergers and acquisitions
Capital raising
Joint ventures
Grape and wine supply, distribution, processing and bottling contracts
Liquor licensing
Intellectual property, including foreign trade mark and domain name registrations and geographical indications
Employment law
Tax (including WET, GST and stamp duty)
Occupational health, safety and welfare
Environmental and planning law, including winery waste management and climate change
Trade practices, including packaging, consumer protection, competition law and market-related issues
Dispute resolution (particularly grower, processing and distribution contract issues and brand infringement)
Succession planning

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Experience

Sale & Purchase

Acting in relation to the sale and purchase of the Katnook business in Coonawarra
Acting in relation to the sale and purchase of the Knappstein Wines business in the Clare Valley
Acting in relation to the sale and purchase of the Deakin Estate wine business in the Murray Darling region

Compliance

- Advising in relation to the revision of the Australian Wine Industry Code of Conduct
Representing two wine clients in relation to their dealings with Wine Australia over label integrity issues

Disaster Planning

Advising various wineries concerning COVID-19 issues, including those relating to workplace management and force majeure
Advising various wineries in relation to bushfire/smoke taint related issues, including in relation to their dealings with the ACCC over relevant clauses in grape supply agreements

Contracts

Advising on and documenting a number of contract processing and bottling arrangements recently
Assisting a number of clients to negotiate and document new distribution arrangements, and terminate existing agreements, both domestically and in various export markets including China, the UK and the USA
Assisting a major winery to negotiate and document a major logistics contract

Tax (Including WET)

Advising a South Australian winery on the tax aspects of introducing an international investor
Advising numerous clients across Australia with respect to wine equalisation tax audits

IT/IP

Advising wineries on contracts for the acquisition, installation and maintenance of major “direct to consumer” IT platforms
Advising various clients in relation to the development of innovative new “wine products”

Succession Planning

Advising a number of family wine businesses concerning their succession planning

Practice Head

Will Taylor

Partner

Andrew Williams

Partner

Kyra Reznikov

Special Counsel

Gavin Cragg

Partner

Lisa Calabrese

Partner

Andrew D’Alessandro

Partner

Austin Wakeham

Partner

Nick Langridge

Senior Associate

Briony Hutchens

Partner

Guy Biddle

Partner

Michael Butler

Partner

Rebecca Pereira

Senior Associate

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Wine

Our global wine sector knowledge and industry specific expertise is unrivalled. We are the firm of choice for wine businesses.

We’ve got a dedicated wine team – people working in the wine industry all day, every day.

Finlaysons Lawyers are a proud member, affiliate member or partner of the following: