Latest news with #YellowTail
The Advertiser
30-05-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
Meet the regional Australian brothers who have debuted on the rich list
Two brothers from regional Victoria have made their debut on one of the country's most talked-about rich lists. Ballarat siblings Shane and David Young have landed on the AFR rich list with a combined wealth of $839 million. Their family-owned business, PETstock, was founded in 1991. In 2021, the brothers established parent company Petspiration to encompass their network of pet care brands, products and services. In 2022 Woolworths made a $586m offer to acquire part of the business and the rest is history. But the brothers, who have landed at number 182 on the list, are not the only regional movers and shakers. Canberra-born Sam Prince sits at 87 on the rich list with a fortune of $1.97 billion. In 2005, Prince was a 21-year-old medical student when he founded the Mexican restaurant Zambrero in the capital territory. Today, it has more than 300 stores around the world. Cotton On founder Nigel Austin, who started the clothing business at Beckley Markets in Geelong, is one of the list's most compelling regional success stories. Austin's first store was a tiny space in Geelong behind a butcher shop run by his grandfather. With 1370 stores around the world, Austin is worth a staggering $2.42 billion. Warracknabeal native Tim Heath has maintained his position on the rich list after his impressive debut in 2024. The Victorian crypto king is worth $2.46 billion. Mining services magnate Dale Elphinstone, who became Tasmania's first billionaire in 2019, has also scraped into the top 100 at 88 on the rich list. His Burnie-based empire distributes and services earthmovers, trucks and engines. John Casella and his family, who built their $2.38 billion fortune from the Yellow Tail wine brand, land at number 69 on the list. A vast winery near Griffith in NSW pumps out large volumes of Yellow Tail. The US is a key market for its wine and Donald Trump's tariffs will cause a headache for the business. Farming duo Roger and Gail Fletcher also made the list. The pair operates two sheep processing facilities, one in Dubbo and the other near Albany in WA. They export sheep meat, grain and cotton around the world. The pair grew up in Moree and have a combined wealth of $1.46 billion. Other regional Australians haven't fared so well. Construction mogul Wes Maas has fallen off the list after much fanfare in 2024 about his billion-dollar business. Canberra's Snow family has also tumbled down the rankings with their wealth dropping from $4.1 billion to $1.46 billion. Terry Snow, the Canberra Airport founder, died in August 2024. More than half of his estate, according to AFR, has been given to a charitable trust. Mining magnate Gina Rinehart remains the country's richest person with wealth totalling $38.11 billion. Harry Triguboff, Anthony Pratt, Scott Farquhar and Clive Palmer round out the top five in the AFR Rich List. Two brothers from regional Victoria have made their debut on one of the country's most talked-about rich lists. Ballarat siblings Shane and David Young have landed on the AFR rich list with a combined wealth of $839 million. Their family-owned business, PETstock, was founded in 1991. In 2021, the brothers established parent company Petspiration to encompass their network of pet care brands, products and services. In 2022 Woolworths made a $586m offer to acquire part of the business and the rest is history. But the brothers, who have landed at number 182 on the list, are not the only regional movers and shakers. Canberra-born Sam Prince sits at 87 on the rich list with a fortune of $1.97 billion. In 2005, Prince was a 21-year-old medical student when he founded the Mexican restaurant Zambrero in the capital territory. Today, it has more than 300 stores around the world. Cotton On founder Nigel Austin, who started the clothing business at Beckley Markets in Geelong, is one of the list's most compelling regional success stories. Austin's first store was a tiny space in Geelong behind a butcher shop run by his grandfather. With 1370 stores around the world, Austin is worth a staggering $2.42 billion. Warracknabeal native Tim Heath has maintained his position on the rich list after his impressive debut in 2024. The Victorian crypto king is worth $2.46 billion. Mining services magnate Dale Elphinstone, who became Tasmania's first billionaire in 2019, has also scraped into the top 100 at 88 on the rich list. His Burnie-based empire distributes and services earthmovers, trucks and engines. John Casella and his family, who built their $2.38 billion fortune from the Yellow Tail wine brand, land at number 69 on the list. A vast winery near Griffith in NSW pumps out large volumes of Yellow Tail. The US is a key market for its wine and Donald Trump's tariffs will cause a headache for the business. Farming duo Roger and Gail Fletcher also made the list. The pair operates two sheep processing facilities, one in Dubbo and the other near Albany in WA. They export sheep meat, grain and cotton around the world. The pair grew up in Moree and have a combined wealth of $1.46 billion. Other regional Australians haven't fared so well. Construction mogul Wes Maas has fallen off the list after much fanfare in 2024 about his billion-dollar business. Canberra's Snow family has also tumbled down the rankings with their wealth dropping from $4.1 billion to $1.46 billion. Terry Snow, the Canberra Airport founder, died in August 2024. More than half of his estate, according to AFR, has been given to a charitable trust. Mining magnate Gina Rinehart remains the country's richest person with wealth totalling $38.11 billion. Harry Triguboff, Anthony Pratt, Scott Farquhar and Clive Palmer round out the top five in the AFR Rich List. Two brothers from regional Victoria have made their debut on one of the country's most talked-about rich lists. Ballarat siblings Shane and David Young have landed on the AFR rich list with a combined wealth of $839 million. Their family-owned business, PETstock, was founded in 1991. In 2021, the brothers established parent company Petspiration to encompass their network of pet care brands, products and services. In 2022 Woolworths made a $586m offer to acquire part of the business and the rest is history. But the brothers, who have landed at number 182 on the list, are not the only regional movers and shakers. Canberra-born Sam Prince sits at 87 on the rich list with a fortune of $1.97 billion. In 2005, Prince was a 21-year-old medical student when he founded the Mexican restaurant Zambrero in the capital territory. Today, it has more than 300 stores around the world. Cotton On founder Nigel Austin, who started the clothing business at Beckley Markets in Geelong, is one of the list's most compelling regional success stories. Austin's first store was a tiny space in Geelong behind a butcher shop run by his grandfather. With 1370 stores around the world, Austin is worth a staggering $2.42 billion. Warracknabeal native Tim Heath has maintained his position on the rich list after his impressive debut in 2024. The Victorian crypto king is worth $2.46 billion. Mining services magnate Dale Elphinstone, who became Tasmania's first billionaire in 2019, has also scraped into the top 100 at 88 on the rich list. His Burnie-based empire distributes and services earthmovers, trucks and engines. John Casella and his family, who built their $2.38 billion fortune from the Yellow Tail wine brand, land at number 69 on the list. A vast winery near Griffith in NSW pumps out large volumes of Yellow Tail. The US is a key market for its wine and Donald Trump's tariffs will cause a headache for the business. Farming duo Roger and Gail Fletcher also made the list. The pair operates two sheep processing facilities, one in Dubbo and the other near Albany in WA. They export sheep meat, grain and cotton around the world. The pair grew up in Moree and have a combined wealth of $1.46 billion. Other regional Australians haven't fared so well. Construction mogul Wes Maas has fallen off the list after much fanfare in 2024 about his billion-dollar business. Canberra's Snow family has also tumbled down the rankings with their wealth dropping from $4.1 billion to $1.46 billion. Terry Snow, the Canberra Airport founder, died in August 2024. More than half of his estate, according to AFR, has been given to a charitable trust. Mining magnate Gina Rinehart remains the country's richest person with wealth totalling $38.11 billion. Harry Triguboff, Anthony Pratt, Scott Farquhar and Clive Palmer round out the top five in the AFR Rich List. Two brothers from regional Victoria have made their debut on one of the country's most talked-about rich lists. Ballarat siblings Shane and David Young have landed on the AFR rich list with a combined wealth of $839 million. Their family-owned business, PETstock, was founded in 1991. In 2021, the brothers established parent company Petspiration to encompass their network of pet care brands, products and services. In 2022 Woolworths made a $586m offer to acquire part of the business and the rest is history. But the brothers, who have landed at number 182 on the list, are not the only regional movers and shakers. Canberra-born Sam Prince sits at 87 on the rich list with a fortune of $1.97 billion. In 2005, Prince was a 21-year-old medical student when he founded the Mexican restaurant Zambrero in the capital territory. Today, it has more than 300 stores around the world. Cotton On founder Nigel Austin, who started the clothing business at Beckley Markets in Geelong, is one of the list's most compelling regional success stories. Austin's first store was a tiny space in Geelong behind a butcher shop run by his grandfather. With 1370 stores around the world, Austin is worth a staggering $2.42 billion. Warracknabeal native Tim Heath has maintained his position on the rich list after his impressive debut in 2024. The Victorian crypto king is worth $2.46 billion. Mining services magnate Dale Elphinstone, who became Tasmania's first billionaire in 2019, has also scraped into the top 100 at 88 on the rich list. His Burnie-based empire distributes and services earthmovers, trucks and engines. John Casella and his family, who built their $2.38 billion fortune from the Yellow Tail wine brand, land at number 69 on the list. A vast winery near Griffith in NSW pumps out large volumes of Yellow Tail. The US is a key market for its wine and Donald Trump's tariffs will cause a headache for the business. Farming duo Roger and Gail Fletcher also made the list. The pair operates two sheep processing facilities, one in Dubbo and the other near Albany in WA. They export sheep meat, grain and cotton around the world. The pair grew up in Moree and have a combined wealth of $1.46 billion. Other regional Australians haven't fared so well. Construction mogul Wes Maas has fallen off the list after much fanfare in 2024 about his billion-dollar business. Canberra's Snow family has also tumbled down the rankings with their wealth dropping from $4.1 billion to $1.46 billion. Terry Snow, the Canberra Airport founder, died in August 2024. More than half of his estate, according to AFR, has been given to a charitable trust. Mining magnate Gina Rinehart remains the country's richest person with wealth totalling $38.11 billion. Harry Triguboff, Anthony Pratt, Scott Farquhar and Clive Palmer round out the top five in the AFR Rich List.
San Francisco Chronicle
11-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
California wine executives plead guilty to $360,000 bribery scheme
Deutsch Family Wine and Spirits, which produces the popular Josh Cellars, employed two executives who have pleaded guilty to bribery. Esther Mobley/S.F. Chronicle Two California wine executives pleaded guilty to bribing a powerful alcohol distributor and a retailer to promote their products in exchange for approximately $360,000 in gift cards, luxury watches, golf trips and baseball tickets. Prosecutors in February charged Matthew Adler of Walnut Creek and Bryan Barnes of Hermosa Beach (Los Angeles County) with commercial bribery, saying that Adler had given money and gifts to employees of a wine distributor and that Barnes had given gift cards to an employee of a wine retailer in exchange for favoring their company's products. Court documents do not name the companies involved in the scheme. But Adler and Barnes' employer was Deutsch Family Wine and Spirits, which produces or imports some of America's most popular wine brands such as Josh Cellars and Yellow Tail, and the distributor was Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, the country's largest alcohol wholesaler, according to a source with knowledge of the case. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Both Adler, who was charged with a felony, and Barnes, who was charged with a misdemeanor, entered guilty pleas in federal court in Oakland in April. Between 2016 and 2021, Adler used a third-party vendor to bribe distributor employees with thousands of dollars in prepaid Visa and American Express gift cards; a $6,750 Panerai watch; a Bentley car rental; tickets to spring training baseball games; custom suits; $2,370 concert tickets; and more. He took four distributor employees on a trip to Pebble Beach, which 'cost tens of thousands of dollars and included rooms, golf and caddie fees, spa treatments, and thousands of dollars in room incidentals,' prosecutors said. Deutsch Family Wine and Spirits, which produces Yellow Tail wine from Australia, employed two executives who have pleaded guilty to bribery. Liz Hafalia/S.F. Chronicle Deutsch Family had a marketing budget of $1 million per year, according to the filing, but Adler lied to his company's accounting department about how he was spending his funds: In 2019 he said he spent $47,131.49 attending a wine and food festival, but he actually sent that money to distributor employees. Adler left Deutsch Family in 2021 and began working for Demeine Estates, a subsidiary of Napa Valley's Lawrence Wine Estates, according to a news release. Adler's attorney declined to comment. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Barnes, meanwhile, sent thousands of dollars in prepaid gift cards to the alcohol buyer of a retail chain with 'more than 100 Southern California stores,' prosecutors said. An attorney for Barnes did not respond to a request for comment. Maintaining sellers' independence is a cornerstone of U.S. alcohol law, which has mandated a three-tier system — a separate producer, distributor and retailer — since the repeal of Prohibition. Without this separation, powerful alcohol producers could influence stores to carry their products instead of others, which would diminish competition, particularly at the expense of smaller producers. Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits has frequently been accused of anticompetitive behavior. The embattled company recently settled a major lawsuit with a competitor that complained Southern had illegally boycotted it, and last year the Federal Trade Commission sued Southern for illegal price discrimination. In 2022, the Internal Revenue Service and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau descended on Southern Glazer's office in Union City in what officials described as 'an official activity.' Advertisement Article continues below this ad Adler has a hearing scheduled for September and Barnes for October.
Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Warning issued as Britain 'flooded' with fake vino - as the 'Sherlock Holmes of wine' reveals how to spot the difference
Britain is being 'flooded' with fake versions of popular vinos, according to the ' Sherlock Holmes of wine' who has revealed how to tell the difference. Organised criminals are manufacturing 'high-end counterfeits' of well-known labels sold in British supermarkets and off-licences such as Yellow Tail, Maureen Downey told The Wine Blast Podcast. The Australian brand distributes 13.5million cases of wine across the world every year, including Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and is distinguishable by its black glass bottles wrapped in colourful labels with kangaroo art work. The expert said the bottles are being replicated 'to a professional degree' on an 'unprecedented degree' which has never been seen before. Ms Downey said: 'An Asian organised crime gang has partnered with a European organised wine gang to flood the market with counterfeit Yellow Tail.' In order to make such accurate copies, she claimed the gangs are spending half a million dollars to get the same digital printer used by the brands producers. Wine counterfeiters previously focussed on make replicas of old and rare bottles as they were the most profitable. However, Ms Downey said they have moved away from this because it requires sourcing period glass, ageing the labels and making sure the cork is ok. 'Now, they just have it all made to the same specs that the producers use. It's a different game. It's much more money. The average consumer is pretty screwed,' she added. The wine aficionado said those who drink Yellow Tail regularly would be able to tell the difference in the same way a Coca-Cola fan would know if they had been given Pepsi. It may be harder for people who are trying it for the first time or only drink it occasionally. Some other ways of checking include inspecting the bottle for spelling mistakes, poor print quality, watermarks and missing information on labels. But Ms Downey said it's easier nowadays to 'replicate wines at scale'. Even distributors do not always know what to look for because many producers keep their anti-fraud measures 'so secret'. In 2021, KVK supermarket in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, had its alcohol licence removed after a trading standards investigation found 41 fake bottles of Yellow Tail following reports from customers that the bottles of wine did not taste right. The following year, a 142 bottles of counterfeit Yellow Tail were found in a shop in Leicestershire. Shopkeeper Kannan Vigneswaran was ordered to pay £4,000 after admitting to buying the wine from a man in an unmarked van offering a deal. Presenter of The Wine Blast podcast, Peter Richards, said: 'It's not just fine and rare wines. You constantly read about producers or merchants being convicted for blending X into Y and calling it Z.' He revealed a Yellow Tail source had confirmed the scale of the issue and revealed 100,000 cases of fake Yellow Tail had allegedly been produced by a criminal gang in Moldova. Mr Richards called it 'an industrial level' scale of production and said Yellow Tail have pursued the problem legally but as they 'don't have much hope of any conviction' the best they can do is monitor shipments 'as closely as they can'.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UK ‘flooded' with fake wine
The UK market is being flooded with convincing knock-offs of popular wines, says a leading fraud expert. Maureen Downey, known as the 'Sherlock Holmes of wine', said organised criminals are producing 'high-end counterfeits' of labels such as Yellow Tail, the second-largest brand in UK supermarkets. She said that wine bottles are being replicated 'to a professional degree' never seen before. Yellow Tail, an Australian brand selling Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Grigio, sells 13.5 million cases worldwide each year and is widely available in supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury's, ASDA and Morrisons. Ms Downey told the Wine Blast podcast: 'An Asian organised crime gang has partnered with a European organised wine gang to flood the market with counterfeit Yellow Tail.' 'The crime rings are spending half a million dollars to get the same digital printer used by the professional producers. They're replicating bottles to an unprecedented level.' She added: 'They're no longer making old and rare bottles because you need period glass, you have to age the labels and make sure the cork is ok. 'Now, they just have it all made to the same specs that the producers use. It's a different game. It's much more money. The average consumer is pretty screwed.' She said it was interesting that the regular Yellow Tail drinker would be able to spot a counterfeit easier than somebody drinking a rare or vintage wine, 'because if you drink Coca Cola every day and somebody gives you a Pepsi, you're going to know the difference.' Ms Downey said it was easier today to replicate wines at scale. Many producers keep their anti-fraud measures so secret that even their distributors did not always know what to look for. In 2021, trading standards began an investigation following reports from supermarket customers in the West Midlands that bottles of Yellow Tail did not taste right. KVK supermarket in Sutton Coldfield had its alcohol licence removed after 41 bottles of Yellow Tail were found to be fake. In 2022, a shopkeeper in Leicestershire was ordered to pay £4,000 after 142 bottles of fake Yellow Tail were found in his shop. Kannan Vigneswaran admitted to buying the wine from a man in an unmarked van offering a deal. Peter Richards, presenter of Wine Blast, said: 'It's not just fine and rare wines. You constantly read about producers or merchants being convicted for blending X into Y and calling it Z.' Mr Richards said a source at Yellow Tail had confirmed the scale of the problem, revealing that a criminal gang in Moldova had supposedly produced up to 100,000 cases of counterfeit Yellow Tail. 'That's an industrial level. The company have pursued it legally, but don't have much hope of any convictions. Instead, they're monitoring shipments as closely as they can,' he said. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
05-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
UK ‘flooded' with fake wine
The UK market is being flooded with convincing knock-offs of popular wines, says a leading fraud expert. Maureen Downey, known as the 'Sherlock Holmes of wine', said organised criminals are producing 'high-end counterfeits' of labels such as Yellow Tail, the second-largest brand in UK supermarkets. She said that wine bottles are being replicated 'to a professional degree' never seen before. Yellow Tail, an Australian brand selling Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Grigio, sells 13.5 million cases worldwide each year and is widely available in supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury's, ASDA and Morrisons. Ms Downey told the Wine Blast podcast: 'An Asian organised crime gang has partnered with a European organised wine gang to flood the market with counterfeit Yellow Tail.' 'The crime rings are spending half a million dollars to get the same digital printer used by the professional producers. They're replicating bottles to an unprecedented level.' 'Average consumer is pretty screwed' She added: 'They're no longer making old and rare bottles because you need period glass, you have to age the labels and make sure the cork is ok. 'Now, they just have it all made to the same specs that the producers use. It's a different game. It's much more money. The average consumer is pretty screwed.' She said it was interesting that the regular Yellow Tail drinker would be able to spot a counterfeit easier than somebody drinking a rare or vintage wine, 'because if you drink Coca Cola every day and somebody gives you a Pepsi, you're going to know the difference.' Ms Downey said it was easier today to replicate wines at scale. Many producers keep their anti-fraud measures so secret that even their distributors did not always know what to look for. In 2021, trading standards began an investigation following reports from supermarket customers in the West Midlands that bottles of Yellow Tail did not taste right. KVK supermarket in Sutton Coldfield had its alcohol licence removed after 41 bottles of Yellow Tail were found to be fake. In 2022, a shopkeeper in Leicestershire was ordered to pay £4,000 after 142 bottles of fake Yellow Tail were found in his shop. Kannan Vigneswaran admitted to buying the wine from a man in an unmarked van offering a deal. 'Industrial level' of production Peter Richards, presenter of Wine Blast, said: 'It's not just fine and rare wines. You constantly read about producers or merchants being convicted for blending X into Y and calling it Z.' Mr Richards said a source at Yellow Tail had confirmed the scale of the problem, revealing that a criminal gang in Moldova had supposedly produced up to 100,000 cases of counterfeit Yellow Tail. 'That's an industrial level. The company have pursued it legally, but don't have much hope of any convictions. Instead, they're monitoring shipments as closely as they can,' he said.
