Bellwether Wines Enters Liquidation

Glen Roy Winemakers Pty Ltd, which trades as Bellwether Wines in Coonawarra, South Australia, has gone into liquidation, only months after the wine community rallied to support owner and winemaker Sue Bell in an effort to keep the business operating.

Michael Oscar Basedow was appointed liquidator by order of the Federal Court. The company has stopped trading, but the liquidator said he is considering whether the winery can continue under a license agreement that would allow Bell to keep operating the business while he reviews the available options.

“While the company has ceased trading, I am currently considering whether the business can be operated under licence to the director, Sue Bell, who is hopeful of continuing what she has created at the Glen Roy Shearing Shed, while I consider all options available,” Basedow told WBM. He added that his office would provide more information next week if needed.

Bellwether had drawn broad support in April, when members of the wine industry bought wine from the winery to help it through financial trouble. At the time, Bell said she had told people she had “got myself in a bit of a pickle” and said she was grateful for the response from colleagues and supporters who had known her throughout her career.

Bell is one of Australia’s best-known winemakers and is widely respected in the industry and in the local community. The liquidation marks a sharp turn for a winery that had recently become a focus of solidarity within Australian wine circles.