Premium Wine Launch · NSW Australia

Before the brand,
the groundwork.

Everything this wine business needs to launch legally and beautifully in Australia — the licensing, the rules, and the full build-and-grow plan, in one place.

29%
WET on wholesale value
18+
Age verified at sale & delivery
25+
ABAC talent rule in ads

// Government & compliance

What the law requires first.

These are the regulatory foundations to confirm before trading or building anything that sells alcohol. Each links to the official source. This is a working brief, not legal advice.

01

Liquor licence (NSW)

A winemaker needs a NSW Producer/Wholesaler liquor licence under the Liquor Act 2007, administered by Liquor & Gaming NSW and ILGA. As a producer it allows wholesale to licensees plus tastings, cellar door, and (with the right licence conditions) online retail to the public.

Liquor & Gaming NSW ↗
02

Producer/Wholesaler application

The application sets the conditions that define the business model. A common grant is “online sales only – public not to attend the premises,” which is exactly the configuration a DTC wine business needs. Getting the conditions right at application time avoids delays.

Apply via Service NSW ↗
03

Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) + GST

WET is 29% of the wholesale value of wine, on top of 10% GST. Eligible producers can claim the WET producer rebate, currently capped at $350,000 per financial year (proposed to rise to $400,000 from 1 July 2026). Set this up with an accountant from day one.

ATO — Wine Equalisation Tax ↗
04

Labelling (FSANZ)

Labels must carry the mandatory pregnancy warning mark (compulsory since 31 Jul 2023), standard drinks, ABV, allergens (sulphites), country of origin, volume, supplier details and a lot code. New energy (kilojoule) labelling applies to products packaged on or after 13 Aug 2028.

FSANZ — alcohol labelling ↗
05

Age verification & delivery

Online alcohol sellers should run an age gate, verify 18+ at checkout, and require ID on delivery (no supply to minors or intoxicated persons). The liquor licence number and responsible-drinking notices must be displayed on the site.

FSANZ — pregnancy warning labels ↗
06

Advertising codes (ABAC)

Alcohol marketing must follow the ABAC Responsible Alcohol Marketing Code: no one under 25 in creative (unless unpaid in an adult setting), no health/benefit or excess-drinking claims, and age-restricted targeting. Google and Meta both defer to these local rules.

ABAC Marketing Code ↗

Pre-launch compliance checklist

Client-owned · agency-verified before go-live

// Next

The plan, and your say.

Walk through the strategy, then capture the brief. The questionnaire emails the answers and a branded PDF straight to the SquidPulse team.

// Strategy

The Plan

Business model, website, design, content, ads, social, photography and the implementation roadmap — 12 sections, built for this launch.

Open the plan
// Discovery

The Questionnaire

Tap-to-answer intake across 10 areas. Downloads a PDF and emails it to the team, so we can scope and quote accurately.

Start the questionnaire

This overview contains general regulatory information for discussion, not legal or tax advice. The client must confirm licensing with Liquor & Gaming NSW and tax with the ATO or their accountant. Figures and dates reflect current Australian rules at the time of preparation and may change.