Woodside Adelaide Hills, the former home of Petaluma and Croser winemaking, is now in the hands of Torresan Estate, a third-generation South Australian family business.

Torresan Estate has taken over the property and its bottling facilities from Accolade Wines, with all winemaking of Petaluma and Croser moving to Accolade Wines’ Tintara facility. Torresan Estate will continue to work with Accolade to bottle and mature two of its globally renowned brands, Croser and House of Arras at Woodside.

Torresan family spokesperson Andrew Torresan said the purchase will also provide Torresan Estate the opportunity to grow its business and support local South Australian winemakers to bottle sparkling wines using traditional methods.

“We are delighted with the acquisition and, as a family with a deep intergenerational engagement in the South Australian wine sector, we have a genuine appreciation of the Petaluma site and its place in the state’s winemaking heritage and history,” he said.

“We are also looking forward to an ongoing relationship with Accolade Wines, a company with a strong tradition in this region and one recognised globally for fine wines from around the world.”

The Petaluma Winery Cellar Door will remain onsite for the long term as part of the transaction, and Torresan Estate is working closely and transparently with Accolade Wines and its employees in preparation for transition and handover.

Accolade Wines CEO Robert Foye said: “We have seen an increase in global demand for wines, including Petaluma and Croser, and we are working with our world-class winemakers and partners like Torresan to continue to support the growth
of these brands.

“We’re committed to South Australia and proud of our heritage in the region from McLaren Vale, the birthplace of Accolade Wines, to our state-of-the-art facilities in Tintara to the Barossa, Coonawarra and Adelaide Hills.

“In collaboration with Torresan Estate, we will continue operating the Petaluma Cellar Door from its current location, with further enhancement to customer experiences planned, and will retain our Adelaide Hills vineyards in Summertown and Mount Barker.”

The Torresan family said the move represents an exciting expansion of its bottling, packaging, and wine storage operations, and will open new opportunities for local winemakers to access the company’s expertise.

“We see a real future for the Woodside site in contract packaging of sparkling wines, supporting the excellence and innovation of South Australian winemakers,” Torresan said.