Walk into any Liquorland or First Choice Liquor and you'll see dozens of wines from producers you've never heard of. Most are not independent. They're Coles-created phantom brands designed to look like small producers.
# The 72 Wine Brands Secretly Owned by Coles
The labels are evocative. 'Cradle Bay.' 'Coorong Plains.' 'Counting Sheep.' They sound like small family operations in romantic corners of Australia.
They're not. They're Coles.
Coles's liquor retail division — operating as Liquorland, First Choice, and Vintage Cellars — has created approximately 72 wine brands that appear independent but are entirely owned and controlled by Coles Group.
The brands don't have vineyards. They don't have winemakers. They have contracts with producers who make wine to specification, under Coles-controlled brand names.
The labels are designed to look artisan. The names evoke place, heritage, and craft. The wines are priced to compete with independent producers in the same aisle.
Among Coles's phantom wine labels: 12km Stretch, Akita, Armada, Atiru, Beyond The Wilderness, Blue Kube, Brookridge, Cabaret, Chalkboard, Chateau Louise, Cloud Farmer, Coconut Beach, Coorong Plains, Counting Sheep, Cradle Bay, Crested King, Curious Kiwi, Cuvee Clare, and dozens more.
None of them are what they appear to be.
When you buy a phantom brand, you're not supporting an independent producer. You're supporting Coles. The money doesn't go to a family winemaker or a small regional producer. It goes to one of the two companies that already dominate Australian grocery retail.
More critically: these brands occupy shelf space that would otherwise be available to genuine independent producers. They crowd out the very segment they're designed to imitate.
The Corporate Camouflage scanner and database allows you to identify Coles phantom brands by scanning any barcode or searching by name. If the brand isn't in our verified independents list, check the ownership chain before purchasing.