$10 million for Australian wine and cider businesses

More than 200 wine and cider businesses will share in $10 million of funding, thanks to the latest round of the Wine Tourism and Cellar Door Grant Program, supported by the Albanese Government.

The program helps businesses attract visitors to Australian wine regions and promote agri tourism.

The grant program is administered by Wine Australia, which carries out application assessments and distributes the funding directly to wine and cider businesses.

Over 200 wineries will receive grants this round, including 79 in South Australia, 45 in Victoria, 35 in New South Wales, 32 in Western Australia, 9 in Tasmania and 2 in Queensland.

Visiting Barristers Block Winery in the Adelaide Hills today, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Murray Watt said the Albanese Government recognises the contribution of Australia’s grape and wine sector to the economic prosperity of Australia and in regional areas.

“Australia’s wine sector is a thriving example of a locally grown and manufactured agriculture industry,” Minister Watt said.

“I am delighted to be here in the beautiful Adelaide Hills to see how businesses like Barristers Block are innovating and diversifying their farm businesses to showcase our top notch Australian products.

“Wineries are an important economic driver in many regional communities across the country. This Government is committed to helping them recover from the current challenges such as trade disruptions, supply-chain issues, and natural disasters.

“This sector is a resilient one, but this funding will go the extra mile towards speeding up recovery.”

Family owner of Barristers Block, Lachlan Allan, said the grant funding would help their business bring forward their long-planned revamp of their cellar door.

“We have plans to improve our tasting experiences and offerings, as well as upgrade our cellar door infrastructure – from small improvements like new tables and chairs, to longer term investments towards business planning,” Mr Allan said.

“We want to continue to provide the best possible experience for our customers, and the funding provides us with a clear pathway to start moving forward.”

Lee McLean, Chief Executive Officer of Australian Grape & Wine said the benefits of cellar door tourism flow beyond grape and wine businesses to local pubs, bakeries and petrol stations across Australia’s 65 wine regions.

“The Australian Government’s support for this grant will help drive investment in more world-class tourism experiences, drawing visitors to regional Australia and underpinning employment and economic growth in our sector as it works through a challenging time."

The program allows eligible wine and cider businesses to apply for up to $100,000 and the latest grants were the fourth round of the program.

The program is just one measure the Government has taken to assist the Australian wine industry. Through the Agricultural Trade and Market Access Cooperation program, the Australian wine industry is being assisted with grants totalling $2.815 million awarded to Australian Grape and Wine to explore new markets, and a $500,000 grant awarded to the Food and Wine Collaboration Group, which includes Wine Australia, to assist with its programs.