A guide to the world's biggest wine companies

Few tears will be shed at the demise of one of the ugliest but at one stage one of the most powerful names in the world of wine. Southcorp was the name of an amalgamation of such once-pre-eminent companies as Penfolds, Lindemans, Wynns, and Seppelt in Australia – it came from the name of the holding company which was once awfully big in water heaters or something. In 2001, thanks to a sell-out by the Oatley family, Southcorp absorbed Rosemount, then spearheading Australian wine’s export assault on the US.

Mayhem and hubris followed with the Rosemount team who claimed they...