Australian Vintage’s new format-based wine innovation Poco Vino has been named the official wine partner of the 2026 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards – the most prestigious annual awards for the Australian film industry.
Taking place on the Gold Coast next Friday, the AACTA marks the first major partnership for the single-serve wine brand and follows on from strong initial momentum both within Australia and in key export markets globally.
Over the course of the evening, which will be streamed live on Channel 10, guests in attendance will be able to choose from sauv blanc, pinot grigio, chardonnay, rosé, pinot noir and shiraz at all key moments. After this, the brand will also be activating a Poco Vino bar cart at each of the official after-party events.
Announcing the news on Thursday, Poco Vino Brand Manager Courtney Williams said, “the AACTA Awards is a huge opportunity to showcase our wines and to have more people discovering our new collection. We invite guests to drink it their way – pour into a glass, sip from the bottle, use a straw – we don’t mind.”
In addition to the live event and the Channel 10 stream, the event will also be available to stream on 10 Play, Binge, Foxtel and the AACTA YouTube channel in the days following.
Big momentum for a little wine:
Launched in the wake of a challenging few years for Australian Vintage, more than 100,000 bottles of Poco Vino were sold in Australia and New Zealand in its first few weeks in late 2025.
Since then, the brand’s strong potential has remained clear.
As CEO Tom Dusseldorp wrote in his piece to industry in the 2026 Drinks Annual, “early signs for this brand are promising, with confirmed listings now in seven global markets and rates of sale far in excess of traditional wine sales.”
Continuing, he attributes this success to Poco Vino “stripping away the inherent traditions and stuffiness and keeps what really matters: great wine, great design and a bit of fun.”
In a similar vein, Courtney Williams says it is “changing how Australians sip, celebrate, and socialise, one perfectly portioned mini bottle at a time.”
In Drinks Trade Magazine issue 96, Head of Global Marketing Emily Harper also flags the many factors beyond the bottle that have contributed to its strong debut, including the considerable thought into the way these bottles are merchandised and sold in store.
“The wine category has been slow and resistant to change … but change is needed to futureproof the category and reimagine wine in today’s modern lifestyles,” she said.
“Consumer occasions and needs are changing, and wine needs to keep up”.
Learn more about Poco Vino here.
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