Australia makes a splash as Country of Honour at Vinexpo Hong Kong 2018. And this is just the beginning, as Asian consumers are sitting up and taking notice of the many facets of Australian winemaking. Yes, Australian wine is just dinky-di…..
The world’s 5th largest wine producer and exporter (by end-March 2018, Australian wine exports increased by 16 per cent in value to US$2 billion, the highest value in a decade), and the second largest exporter to China after France (unseating the US from this spot).
That is Australia. No more the gawky young cousin at the aristocratic family Christmas party, Australia has been steadily making its presence felt in the Asian market, especially in China.
The Australian First Families of Wine (AFFW) masterclass at Vinexpo Hong Kong 2018. Photo: Joanna Margan. Cover photo: Bream Creek Vineyard, Tasmania/Wine Australia
Nowhere did it show more than at Vinexpo Hongkong 2018. Named the Country of Honour for this, the 20th-anniversary edition of the Asian wine trade show, the large Australian delegation cornered significant floor space with 151 wine producers exhibiting 225 wine brands at the show. Twenty-six masterclasses were lined up over the three days to show off diversity in Australian winemaking, including several on Grenache in all its avatars, Australian wine regions Barossa, Coonawarra, Margaret River and Yarra Valley. There was something on its many signature red wine grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Pinot Noir, each a celebrated expression of its own unique terroir. There was more on fortified wines, cool climate wines and old vines – yes, as Stuart Barclay told me during his interview, Australia actually possesses vines older than those in the Old World. And then, the new stuff; tasted Australian Fiano yet? You soon might. Things are a-changing, and it’s all fair dinkum out there.
Australian Pinot Noir masterclass in session. Photo: Joanna Margan
It was impressive to see snaking queues of wine enthusiasts lining up in the hope of scoring a seat at the first ever Australia’s First Families of Wine (AFFW) tasting and masterclass. And yes, Grenache was sold out too. As was pretty much all the rest.
With so much to offer, Australia is rapidly shedding its past image as a workhorse producer of large-scale bulk wines of indeterminate character. It is talking about its wines as being of quality and precision and is discussing diversity of terroir like never before. It is one of the countries with the largest amount of agricultural land certified organic worldwide, according to Wine Australia, the government body that promotes and regulates the Australian wine industry. Most importantly, the Australian government is doing its fair bit (the government’s Export and Regional Wine Support Package is a one-off allocation of $50 million over 4 years) to help along the cause of its wine industry, and with Wine Australia signing an MOU with Alibaba’s online platform Tmall.com, the world’s fastest growing online retailer of wine, things are coming up ace!
Watch Stuart Barclay, General Manager, Marketing, Wine Australia, explain their plans and achievements and tips on how a visitor can get around Australia’s 65 wine regions.
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