Accolade Wines

Accolade Wines is a major global wine business with operations in North America, UK, Ireland, mainland Europe, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Asia. It grew from Thomas Hardy and Sons, a company founded by Thomas Hardy in 1853 in Adelaide, to become Australia's largest winemaker. In January 2011 the company was sold, along with Constellation Europe, to the Australian private equity company CHAMP Private Equity and was renamed "Accolade Wines" on 27 June 2011.

Accolade Wines has evolved into a global wine company, selling some of the world’s best-known brands in over 80 countries, including Australia, UK, mainland Europe, the US, Canada, Japan and China.

The business is the largest wine company by volume in the UK and Australia, with a portfolio ranging from the historic Hardys (the number one Australian wine brand in the UK and a significant wine brand in mainland Europe), through to "Kumala", the UK's number two South African wine brand. The UK portfolio includes "Echo Falls", the third largest wine brand in the UK; Stowells, the number one wine brand in the on-premises trade; Banrock Station (Australia), the UK’s number one environmentally friendly/Green wine brand and South African wines Fish Hoek and Flagstone. The portfolio also includes other premium branded wines and a Wine Fusion portfolio including Stone’s Ginger Wine, Stone's 'Ginger Joe' alcoholic ginger beer and Babycham perry. The US portfolio includes Californian brands Geyser Peak, Atlas Peak and XYZin, drawing on the respected Sonoma and Atlas Peak regions. The Australian portfolio includes Hardys (the 175-year-old Houghton label), Banrock Station, Omni, Goundrey, Brookland Valley, Berri Estates, Stanley, Amberley, Moondah Brook, Leasingham, Tintara, the Tasmanian label Bay of Fires, as well as sparkling wine brands House of Arras and Yarra Burn.

Accolade

The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term accolade was used much more generally to mean "praise" or "award" or "honor."

Ceremony

The accolade is a ceremony to confer knighthood. It may take many forms, including the tapping of the flat side of a sword on the shoulders of a candidate or an embrace about the neck. In the first example, the "knight-elect" kneels in front of the monarch on a knighting-stool. First, the monarch lays the side of the sword's blade onto the accolade's right shoulder. The monarch then raises the sword gently just up over the apprentice's head and places it on his left shoulder. The new knight then stands up, and the king or queen presents him with the insignia of his new order.More often,however, the knight-to-be would be knighted by the local earl with a blow to the head, neck, or shoulders with the flat of his blade. He might even be knocked out. Usually (unless being awarded for a noble deed) nearly no one would be present, except for the earl, the apprentice, and some servants. Contrary to popular belief, the phrase "Arise, Sir ..." is not used.

Accolade (game company)

Accolade, Inc. was an American video game developer and publisher of the 1980s and 1990s. Headquartered in San Jose, California, it was founded in 1984 by Alan Miller and Bob Whitehead after leaving another game developer and publisher they had founded, Activision.

History

Early years

According to legend, Miller and Whitehead named their company "Accolade" because it came before "Activision" alphabetically—implying that Accolade was superior to their previous company, as reportedly the name Activision was chosen as it came before Atari. Later, a new game development company, Acclaim, another company formed from ex-Activision employees, apparently formulated their name because it came before "Accolade."Absolute Entertainment, again, a third company formed from ex-Activision people, ended up being first with the 'first in the alphabet' race.

Accolade's revenues grew from $1.5 million in 1985 to $5 million in 1986. It developed for most 1980s-era home computers, including the Commodore 64, Atari 400 & 800, the Amiga, Apple II and the PC. Some of their first titles include Law of the West, Psi-5 Trading Company, The Dam Busters, Mean 18 Golf, Test Drive, and HardBall!. Test Drive and HardBall! went on to become two of Accolade's longest-running franchises.

Accolade (disambiguation)

Accolade is a ceremony to confer knighthood.

Accolade may also refer to:

See also