The Wine Tourism and Cellar Door Grant program has been introduced to support producers who add value by encouraging visitors to wine regions. Wine producers will be able to access an annual grant reflective of their eligible physical cellar door sales. Applications are open until 31 October 2025.

To be eligible for the Wine Tourism and Cellar Door Grant, applicants must:

• be a wine or cider producer.
• be a legal entity registered for GST and with an active ABN.
• have made at least $1,207,000 (GST exclusive) in sales of rebatable wine in the relevant financial year.
• accrue rebatable domestic cellar door sales in excess of any such sales used to meet the $1,207,000 (GST exclusive) threshold in the relevant financial year.
• have paid the WET on all eligible sales used as part of the application.
• have owned or leased a physical cellar door in Australia in the relevant financial year, and/or their related entity/ies have owned or leased a physical cellar door in Australia in the relevant financial year..
• have a liquor licence valid in the relevant financial year.

Grants up to $100,000 are available.

If applicants meet the eligibility criteria, they can apply for a grant payment for 29 per cent of the notional wholesale selling price of their rebatable domestic cellar door sales, provided that:

• such sales are not already used to meet the eligibility threshold of $1,207,000 (GST exclusive) in rebatable wine sales
• the transaction date for such sales were within the period for which the applicant (and/or their related entity(ies)) has owned or leased the physical cellar door
• at least 50 per cent of the rebatable domestic cellar door sales used in the grant application consist of sales from the physical cellar door (see examples below)
• none of their associated producers have already applied for the grant in the relevant financial year.

Wine Australia will record and track applications, including details of associated producers, as they are received. If, in a relevant financial year, more than one associated producer applies for the grant, the first application received and considered eligible will negate the rest of the applications.

For more information, please visit the Grant Connect website. 

Smith Thornton subscribes to a grant search provider and can help you prepare your grant application. If you have any questions, our Business Services Advisor Jenna van Nierop will be happy to assist. You can email her at jennav@smiththornton.com.au or call her on 9842 5155.