Its Australia and New Zealand wine managing director David Dearie said new brand strategies developed for a number of its labels was the reason for seeking board approval to withdraw three Australian vineyards and one Californian vineyard from the market, a year after they were put up for sale, The Australian Financial Review reports.

The vineyards (Guthrie's and Schultz in South Australia's Wrattonbully region, Baileys in Glenrowan, Victoria, and Meridian on California's central coast) represent 12 per cent of the 5000 hectares of planted vines that Foster's put on the market in the middle of last year following a review of its wine business that demanded a significant cut in production and brands.

Withdrawing the four vineyards from sale has reduced the burden for Foster's, which has an additional eight vineyards on the market after managing to sell 20 of the original 32 it put up for sale last year.