Bulk Wine Exports

To reduce the risk of uncontrolled handling, storage and bottling practices carried out by overseas bottlers, the following procedures were developed jointly by the AWBC and the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA) in consultation with bulk wine exporters.

They apply to the export of bulk wine in containers larger than 20 litres in shipments greater than 100 litres, and are additional to the normal product approval procedures for all wine exports.

Consignee approval

A consignee must be approved by the AWBC. It is the exporter's responsibility to seek approval by submitting a completed Bulk Consignee Approval Form. It is the exporter’s responsibility to ensure approval has been received and then to seek relevant export permits.

To be approved a consignee must be certified in accordance with one of the following:

• British Retail Consortium (BRC) technical standard or equivalent

• ISO 22000 standard

• HACCP & ISO 9000 standards

• International Food Standard (IFS).

Approval status may be conditional on the receipt at the AWBC of required return samples, the condition of the return samples, and the labelling of the return samples.

Loading and transportation

The licensed exporter is responsible for ensuring all requirements of the “Procedure for the preparation and transportation of bulk wine” are adhered to. This can be downloaded in PDF format.

AWBC inspectors have the power audit the loading and despatch process, including required records and retention samples.

Return samples

Exporters may be required to return by airmail, at their cost, two commercially dressed samples of the final product for evaluation and possible analysis. Failure to do so may result in a consignee’s approved status being withdrawn. It is the exporter’s responsibility to ensure a consignee/importer retains samples.

The AWBC also may independently obtain random samples at retail outlets.