Cassegrain Wines Enters Sri Lanka with Australian Heritage and a Local Connection

Australian family-owned winery Cassegrain Wines has officially entered the Sri Lankan market, bringing more than four decades of Australian winemaking and a family heritage dating back to 1643 to a market where interest in wine continues to develop.

The brand marked its Sri Lankan launch on August 19 at The Sundowner, Colombo Swimming Club, in the presence of His Excellency Matthew Duckworth, Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. Cassegrain is being introduced to the local market by Favourite International, with Park Street Wines as its retail partner.

Founded in France and established in Australia in the early 1980s, Cassegrain has built its reputation around combining traditional French winemaking with modern Australian techniques. John Cassegrain planted the family’s first Australian vineyard in the Hastings River region in 1981, with the Port Macquarie winery opening in 1985.

Today, the winery takes a multi-regional approach, sourcing grapes from leading wine-growing regions across New South Wales. Its Head Winemaker, Alex Cassegrain, was named Winemaker of the Year by the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology in 2021.

The company has been exporting internationally for more than 35 years, with its wines reaching markets across Asia, North America, Europe and the Pacific.

For Kumar Mirchandani, the decision to bring Cassegrain to Sri Lanka followed a search for particular gaps within the existing portfolio, including Australian Rieslings, Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. The connection between the brand and Sri Lanka was also an important part of the decision.

In Conversation with Kumar Mirchandani

1. You have spent much of your career building Sri Lankan businesses and manufacturing brands for international markets. What made you decide that Cassegrain Wines was a brand worth bringing to Sri Lanka at this particular moment?

We look for “gaps” in our portfolio and ensure that we have a wide and varied offering. We were looking for good Rieslings, Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from Australia and we found the right winemaker for these -the Sri Lankan connection with Cassegrain also was important to us.

2. If you had to describe Cassegrain in three words to someone who knows absolutely nothing about the brand, what would they be? And what would you say they are missing out on if they have never experienced it?

Taste Heritage Value. Wines that go well with our cuisine!

3. Cassegrain has a strong identity rooted in New South Wales, family heritage and Australian winemaking. What do you believe distinguishes the brand from other international wines entering the Sri Lankan market?

Australian wines are well accepted in our market as a lot of our people travel to and fro and value good wines at a fair price. Plus, we prefer to work with family owned and run wineries as they are really dedicated to their craft and are personally invested in the product and provenance.

4. You have previously spoken about how Sri Lanka’s apparel industry could not compete simply on price, but had to compete on quality, ethics and reputation. Does that same philosophy influence the way you approach premium consumer brands today?

Absolutely. Today’s consumer is well educated and want to know the history behind products they buy.

5. Cassegrain itself has experienced significant changes and challenges in recent years. What attracted you to a brand with such a strong history of reinvention?

The Chairman of Cassegrain Selva Saverimuttu, was deeply involved in bringing his products to the land of his birth. We like to think that he found the ideal partner in us...! We have been in business for a long while and have deep knowledge of the Sri Lanka market and after almost a year of tastings and discussions, we concluded that this brand will grow and be appreciated by wine lovers here-both local and tourists.

6. Australia and Sri Lanka have a long-standing economic relationship. Do you see greater opportunities for Australian premium brands and businesses to enter the Sri Lankan market? If so, where do you think those opportunities lie?

Australia has a tremendous history in agriculture and food products. I believe they are the biggest suppliers of lentils to Sri Lanka already. There is opportunity here for us to grow in this space.

7. After decades of working with international brands, what have you learned about the difference between simply bringing a product into Sri Lanka and actually building a brand here?

Brand Building is our expertise. In the beverage space there are various tools used. Education of both hospitality providers and consumers is key.

8. Looking ahead, what would success for Cassegrain in Sri Lanka look like, and what do you hope this launch will ultimately contribute to Sri Lanka’s evolving premium consumer market?

Wine culture is growing here. We hope to distribute the brand to all the sectors of hospitality and also direct to consumer. The brand will offer a wider choice to local wine drinkers and also to visitors who demand a wonderful tasting product and a fair price.

A Personal Connection to Sri Lanka

Cassegrain’s arrival in Sri Lanka also carries a personal significance for Chairman Selva Saverimuttu, a Sri Lankan and graduate of the University of Colombo.

Saverimuttu described the launch as a proud moment that brings together Australia and Sri Lanka, two places that have played an important role in his life. He also expressed confidence that the winery’s family heritage, craftsmanship and modern Australian approach would resonate with the Sri Lankan market, while emphasizing his intention to develop a long-term partnership built around quality and mutual respect.

Cassegrain Wines Director Shiana Tyler also has a longstanding connection to Sri Lanka, with her parents having grown up in the country. Having visited Sri Lanka many times herself, Tyler said the response to the brand’s arrival had been encouraging and described the launch as the beginning of a lasting relationship with the Sri Lankan market.

The connection between Cassegrain and Sri Lanka therefore extends beyond the commercial opportunity. It brings together a family-owned Australian winery with a market where the appreciation of wine is gradually becoming more established, particularly across hospitality and tourism.

Building a Presence in Sri Lanka

Favourite International, which is bringing Cassegrain to the Sri Lankan market, was established in 1996 and specializes in the import and distribution of wines, beers, champagnes, liqueurs, selected spirits and non-alcoholic beverages from around the world.

The company has developed an extensive international portfolio supported by industry knowledge and longstanding relationships with vineyards and producers. It supplies multiple sectors of Sri Lanka’s beverage and hospitality market.

Park Street Wines, Favourite International’s retail partner, operates outlets in Colombo and Negombo. Its range covers different tastes and price points, with products selected by its in-house teams and organized by origin, varietal and price to make selection easier for consumers.

For Cassegrain, the Sri Lankan market represents the latest chapter in an international journey that has already spanned more than three decades of exports. Its entry also reflects a wider shift in the local beverage landscape, as consumers gain access to a broader range of international wines and become increasingly interested in their origins, varieties and stories.

With its combination of Australian winemaking, French heritage and a direct Sri Lankan connection, Cassegrain now begins its next chapter in a market that Mirchandani believes has room for both greater choice and a growing wine culture.