Premium wines were the star performers at Wine Australia’s 2017 Australia Day Tastings (ADT) in the UK last month.
Almost 1200 people attended the event series that took place in London (B1 Victoria House), Dublin (Royal Hibernian Academy) and Edinburgh (Balmoral Hotel). There were 58 wineries exhibiting for the first time among the 230 that participated.
Guests tried the latest vintages of some of Australia’s most iconic fine wines, including Penfold’s ‘St Henri’ Shiraz, Clonakilla’s Shiraz Viognier and Henschke’s ‘Julius’ Riesling, as well as boutique wines from the likes of Gembrook Hill, Mac Forbes and Ministry of Clouds.
“With an astounding number of visitors, it showed that what Australian wine does particularly well is serve all sectors of the market; with quality at the entry and mid-tier right the way through to the top,” said Peter English, Senior Brand Manager Fine Wine, UK, Ireland & Western Europe at Treasury Wine Estates. “We were particularly encouraged to see the number of buyers and representatives from the fine wine market.”
It was an amazing experience being part of the Australia Day Tastings for another year,” added Christian Dal Zotto, from Dal Zotto Wines. “The event is a great opportunity to meet some of London’s best sommeliers, introduce them to our varietals and also see the wide range of the many other wines on show from all around Australia.”
Laura Jewell MW, Wine Australia Head of Market EMEA, said the event was Wine Australia’s biggest series to date and highlighted the diversity of Australian wine and reinforce our country’s reputation as a premium wine producer.
“As momentum for Australian premium wine grows, we’ll continue to share stories of people, place and provenance and work with the trade to build on what has been a very positive start to the year.”
The breadth of higher priced wines showcased at the ADT events points to the growing interest and demand for Australian premium wines in the UK. It also echoes the findings of Wine Australia’s latest Export Report, released last month.
Exports priced at $5 or more per litre free on board (FOB) grew by a healthy 23% to $68 million. The growth was even stronger for exports at $10 or more per litre FOB, which grew by 25% to $28 million, double the 20-year low in 2013.
The trend towards premiumisation continues as the more engaged consumer segments look to trade up into GI (Geographical Indications) specific wines at and above the £10 price point. This trend has been particularly strong in independent retail and premium fine dining venues.
On the release of the latest export figures, Managing Director of Negociants UK, Simon Thorpe MW commented on the positive trends at the high end: “We’ve never witnessed such strong demand for super-premium/iconic wines across our Australian portfolio, this demand coming from fine wine exponents whose customers are obviously keen to explore the very top end of what Australia has to offer.”
