ACCOLADE will offer CCW’s red wine grape growers $4000 per hectare to exit their contracts.

Growers are being briefed on the buyout package at meetings in the Riverland today and tomorrow, before voting on the offer next month.

Accolade has framed the offer as a “solution” to the malaise facing both the winery and its contacted growers, many of whom are struggling with unsustainable prices, due to a long list of factors, including supply and demand issues.

Key terms of the package put to growers are:

1. Voluntary buyout.

2. Relief (of $11 per tonne) from CCW’s separate bulk wine contract.

3. Pricing to be “transparently set” by the weighted district average.

4. Accolade’s total contracted volume to be reduced to 150,000 tonnes.

If accepted, the offer would inevitably lead to Riverlanders exiting the industry, however all participating growers would be free to keep their vines and sell grapes to others, if they choose.

Accolade had described the plan as “the only option that allows CCW’s growers and Accolade to remain viable”.

Full story in this week’s Murray Pioneer