Australian Grape and Wine Inc (Australian Grape & Wine) has welcomed Wine Australia’s announcement of the $10m Cellar Door Grant applications opening on 1 July 2019.

The $10m Cellar Door Grants were part of the changes introduced in the Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) amendments for the 2018-19 year, which reduced the producer WET rebate from $500k to $350k.  Wine Australia will be administering this grant and the timeframe to submit applications is from 1 July 2019 to 30 September 2019.

Mr Tony Battaglene, Chief Executive of Australian Grape & Wine, welcomed the announcement saying “We are pleased that applications for this grant to boost regional tourism has been announced, and we encourage all eligible producers to submit their application within the allocated timeframe”.

“We remain concerned that many producers who should be eligible for the top-up won’t have the appropriate accounting systems in place to take advantage of the grant.  It is important that producers check the eligibility criteria carefully and ensure they take full advantage of the grant”.

For information on the grants, eligibility criteria and how to apply can be found at www.wineaustralia.com/wine-tourism-and-cellar-door-grants