Australian Wine Holdco’s (AWL) global wine business, Vinarchy, has appointed former Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) CEO, Danny Celoni, to lead the newly established merger of Accolade Wines and Pernod Ricard’s ANZ and Spanish wine businesses, commencing in August.
Vinarchy was launched earlier this month as a global specialist wine company, following the acquisition of Accolade Wines and Pernod Ricard Winemakers last year by Bain Capital-led consortium, AWL. The company stated it will have operations in multiple countries, employ around 1600 people, and generate annual sales of more than $1.5 billion.
Celoni has been appointed CEO of Vinarchy, after departing from Asahi Beverages-owned CUB at the beginning of 2025. A leader in beverage and FMCG business, he brings more than 25 years industry experience to the role.
“I am both honoured and excited to embrace this remarkable opportunity. I believe Vinarchy is well positioned to play a leading role in the future growth and expansion of the wine category,” said Celoni.
“Our rich heritage, combined with our established brands, capabilities, and unwavering commitment to customer and consumer centricity provides an exceptional platform for driving core category growth, differentiated innovation and value creation.
“I look forward to collaborating with the board, our management team and our outstanding workforce of dedicated individuals, as well as building strong collaboration with our customers and partners worldwide, as we shape our exciting evolution and next phase of growth together.”
Vinarchy has 11 wineries in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Spain, producing more than 32 million 9LE cases annually, and owns Berri Estates, the largest winery in the Southern Hemisphere.
Brands include the three global pillars of Hardys with combined annual consumer sales of more than $2 billion in 2024 – the number two Australian wine brand globally, Campo Viejo – the number one Rioja wine brand in the world, and Jacob’s Creek – in the top 10 most valuable wine brands in the world.
Current executive chairman, Ben Clarke, will become non-executive chairman once Celoni starts in August.
“On behalf of the Board I am delighted to welcome Danny to Vinarchy,” said Clarke.
“He is a leader who champions a growth mindset and has a strong track record in driving transformational growth and category leadership through exceptional customer relationships. Danny is the right person to lead our business as we capture the opportunities as a global wine leader.”
