One of the Riverland’s largest vineyard holdings has been brought to market, with Colliers offering the Thomson Vineyard Portfolio, comprising 736.92 hectares across three sites. The sale comes as industry voices call for structural changes in South Australian viticulture.
Stock image: Large vineyard in Kingston on Murray, Riverland, South Australia.
Colliers Agribusiness has launched the sale of the Thomson Vineyard Portfolio, a combined 736.92 hectares of vineyard land across three sites in South Australia’s Riverland region. Of the total landholding, 389.43 hectares are currently planted to winegrapes.
The portfolio includes the Woolpunda Vineyard (389.80 ha, with 216.70 ha planted), the Devlins Pound Vineyard (107.32 ha, with 49.73 ha planted) and the Good Hope Landing Vineyard (239.80 ha, with 123 ha planted).
Plantings span a diverse range of varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Shiraz, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Gordo, Rubired and Tempranillo. Vineyard blocks date back to the early 1990s and are supported by modern irrigation systems that draw water from the Murray River.
Market appeal
“This is an opportunity to acquire significant scale, with proven productivity in one of Australia’s most important wine regions,” said Tim Altschwager, national director of agribusiness transactions at Colliers.
“The Thomson family has developed a high-performing portfolio that will appeal to a broad target market, including institutional investors, wine producers and diversified agribusiness operators as well as alternate users,” he added.
Over the past five vintages (2021–2025), the vineyards have delivered consistent yields. The agents also note the potential for redevelopment into alternative crops.
The portfolio is being offered via Expressions of Interest, closing Friday 26 September 2025 at 2pm ACST. Inspections are by appointment only.
Riverland under pressure
The sale comes against the backdrop of ongoing concerns around structural challenges in South Eastern Australia’s wine sector. As reported by the drinks business in July 2024, Paul Schaafsma, former Accolade Wines CEO and now MD of Benchmark Drinks, argued that the Riverland faces a “stylistic problem” linked to both climate and vineyard management.
He said that extreme summer heat, with “five to six days of 40 degrees in a row”, risks producing fruit that is overripe or sunburnt unless trellising and canopy management practices are adapted. Schaafsma also criticised the prevailing payment system based on tonnage, saying it encouraged high yields at the expense of wine quality.
“The challenge is how companies can interact with the growers to ensure that the canopy is managed differently; they need a more quality or stylistic-based commercial arrangement, not one just based on tonnage,” Schaafsma told db.
Balancing scale with style
The Riverland currently supplies around one-third of Australia’s wine grapes, primarily for high-volume and bulk markets. However, with oversupply continuing to affect producers and major players such as Pernod Ricard retreating from Australian wine, the debate over the future of vineyard management in the region is intensifying.
While boutique producers have demonstrated success with old vines and alternative varieties, large-scale assets like the Thomson Vineyard Portfolio represent both an opportunity for buyers seeking volume and a challenge in aligning with evolving consumer tastes.
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