CANBERRA: There is a new renaissance in the Australian wine industry with exports looking up for the first time in 9 years. According to Stuart Barclay of Wines Australia, the marketing arm of the Australian Grape and Wine Authority, wine exports from Australia have increased by 5 percent to fetch AU$1.89 billion in the last 12 months. It is the first ever increase in export revenue for Australian wines since 2006/2007.
The chief reason for resurgence of Australian wines is its growing acceptance with Asian taste buds. The new demand from the Asian market is driven by the region’s bulging middle and upper classes searching for new gastronomical pleasures aided by their rising incomes, reports the AFP.
“It’s really been a rapid change in attitudes towards wine,” noted Sirromet’s sales director Rod Hill, who makes a specific mention about China. In the past, it was hard to see people in bars drinking wine, but today there is an unbelievable array of wine lists waiting for Chinese customers.
