News

Wine Australia has suspended the export licence of Dandelion Vineyards Pty Ltd (Dandelion) until 1 May 2020 after finding that the exporter unintentionally contravened the Wine Australia Act 2013 (Act) by making  label claims that were not supported by records kept under the Label Integrity Program (LIP), and subsequently selling and exporting wine with misleading label claims.

Twelve emerging grape and wine researchers from five Australian universities have received Wine Australia’s PhD and Masters by Research Scholarships for 2020.

Wine lovers looking to visit the Limestone Coast can now plan their trip using a free and user-friendly itinerary planning tool showcasing the latest wine and tourism attractions.

Helping grapegrowers optimise their irrigation water use will be one of the first outcomes of a $5 million digital technologies project supporting on-farm decision making for winegrape production.

Australia’s wine sector is drawing together to provide support and advice to those affected by fire. Wine Australia, Australian Grape & Wine, the Australian Wine Research Institute and viticultural experts, backed by the Federal Government, and state and regional wine agencies, are coordinating a response that will offer support and advice in the short-term and a longer-term 
action plan. 

The coronavirus COVID-19 has meant that the wine sector is operating in a very dynamic environment, both within Australia and in our export markets. To keep you informed of the latest developments, this week our bulletin will explore the situation for trade and logistics as well as the operating environments of our top three export markets – China, the USA and the UK.  

Demand for low and no alcoholic beverages has been reported by many to have experienced large growth over recent years, albeit off a small base, and this is expected to continue.

Since Poland joined the European Union (EU) in 2004, wine consumption has grown on average 4 per cent per year, with total consumption now just behind that of Denmark. Australian wine exports to Poland grew by 34 per cent in value to $4.5 million in 2019, moving it into the top 10 most valuable markets in the EU for Australian exports.

The latest retail data from IRI MarketEdge indicates that while the volume of wine sold in the Australian off-trade market has declined over the past two years, value has increased. In other words, while Australians are consuming less, they are spending more.

The global bulk wine market provides a good indication of the general state of play for the world wine sector and the competitiveness of Australian wine. The past two years have been something of a rollercoaster for the market, but Australia has fared relatively well and is better placed than most of its competitors going into 2020.