From Bottlenecks to Business Growth
The wine industry has a rich and ancient history. Open up a Bible, and you’ll find that the first thing Noah did after he trotted off the ark, and presumably hung his clothes out to dry for a bit, was plant a vineyard. Wine making is a tradition that traces back to the dawn of time and has deeply infiltrated virtually every culture on the planet.
With such a prestigious pedigree, it’s not surprising that traditional ways of doing things can sometimes be firmly entrenched. However, even in the most venerable of industries, evolution is inevitable, albeit slow in coming. Think Wolf Blass and the over 20 years he spent testing and promoting screw caps for wine bottles before they finally caught on.
While we don’t quite have the profile of Wolf Blass (yet…), Hirsch Wine Group is rapidly building a reputation as an innovative, creative force in the Australian wine scene. Although we’ve been in business for almost three decades, the last few years have seen us develop and implement a fresh, exciting business model that’s breaking the mould of how contract wine service companies have traditionally operated.
Background
Hirsch Wine Group is a family-owned winery in the Yarra Valley, led by CEO Ben Hirsch. Unusually for the region, our business is built around three integrated pillars:
- Vineyards and brands
- A state-of-the-art winery that produces outstanding quality wines under our own labels, as well as contract manufacturing for client brands
- A growing contract bottling and wine storage operation.
“To have all those three different pillars under the one business is very rare,” says Ben.
Under Ben’s leadership, the Hirsch Wine Group business strategy is deliberately innovative and service-led. Our vision has been to do things a little differently from the traditional winery model: investing in modern equipment and offering clients a seamless, end-to-end service from fruit to finished, bottled, and stored wine.
The Challenge
Bottlenecks at Peak Bottling Times
As we scaled our contract services, a critical gap emerged: we had no on-site bottling facility. That created wasteful inefficiencies, limited flexibility, and crippling production bottlenecks at peak times.
Faced with these compound problems, a vision started to form of how we could address these weaknesses in a way that not only improved our own product but also allowed us to offer a world-class solution to other players in the industry.
Ben explains, “The missing link was really a bottling line… We did our due diligence and found that Grapeworks | Tanium was one of the few suppliers in the wine industry that could service what we were looking for.”
Initially, Ben planned to install a basic bottling line and labeller without automation to keep costs down. However, as he explored options with Grapeworks | Tanium, he realised the opportunities extended far beyond just filling bottles: a fully automated bottling line would allow us to reshape the business model and fill a significant market gap.
The Solution
From Missing Link to Opportunity
What began as a simple equipment enquiry quickly evolved into a comprehensive feasibility study. The Grapeworks | Tanium team guided us through every stage: analysing production needs, modelling labour costs versus automation, and tailoring a solution that would scale with the business.
“They understood what our needs were, and what we wanted to achieve,” says Ben. “The level of service that they gave us was phenomenal. Crucially, because they were local, we knew they were always just a call away.”
Ben calculated that automation would deliver long-term efficiencies equivalent to the workload of four to six additional staff, while providing greater precision, consistency, and enhanced brand recognition.
“Plus, robots don’t go on smoko,” jokes Ben.
The Process
Partnering with Grapeworks | Tanium
From the very first conversation, Grapeworks | Tanium became an extension of the Hirsch Wine Group team.
They supported us through every stage of the project, from the very first conversation to full-scale production. Beginning with detailed pre-purchase consultations, they provided in-depth guidance and product education to ensure the equipment met the winery’s needs.
Next, they advised on facility preparation, helping to refine the site layout and coordinate renovations to optimise workflow.
Finally, the team oversaw a staged installation and training process, commissioning each section of the line, testing performance, and coaching our operators to ensure the system ran flawlessly from day one.
“Were there challenges? Absolutely. It’s a serious machine,” says Ben. “But Grapeworks | Tanium and their staff invested immense resources and energy into our install, and there wasn’t anything they couldn’t help with.”
The Implementation
A Best-In-Class Bottling Line
The new bottling line at Hirsch Wine Group marks a quantum leap in our capabilities and efficiency.
At the heart of the system is an Italian-made Alfatek filler with 12 heads, capable of processing up to 2,400 bottles per hour. To handle the downstream operations, Mondo & Scaglione supplied the fully automated end-of-line system. This set-up includes the carton erector, case packer, insert placer, glue sealer with inkjet coding, and robotic palletiser; all working together to create a continuous, high-speed production flow that delivers precision, consistency, and efficiency from start to finish.
Just four months after commissioning, we’re thrilled to report that Hirsch Wine Group is fully booked through to vintage, with new bookings now being accepted for April 2026. The facility has quickly attracted clients ranging from boutique producers to major international wineries.
“We’ve got so much more flexibility now, both for our own operations, and to service our clients’ needs”, says Ben. “It’s opened up a host of new opportunities. In fact, we don’t want anyone else buying a machine!” he laughs.
Conclusion
A Successful Partnership Fuelling Further Growth
Today, Hirsch Wine Group enjoys new revenue opportunities, higher margins, and a growing reputation for excellence in the Australian wine industry. Our experienced team, with Ben at the helm, has gained the flexibility, speed, and consistency needed to support both our own brands and a growing network of clients.
“Grapeworks | Tanium are a credit to the industry,” says Ben. “It’s hard to find a company that cares the way they do. We look forward to working with them when we expand – sparkling line next, they’ll be our first call.”
Want to find out more – contact the team at info@hirschwinegroup.com.au
A version of this article originally appeared on the Grapeworks | Tanium website
