Wine Australia's regulatory activities
Wine Australia's process for controlling the export of Australian wine is focussed on auditing both exporters and producers, supplemented by analysis of random samples of their products.
Importance of a compliance regime
There are two major reasons for the establishment of any wine regulatory system:
- To protect consumers; and
- To ensure a fair trading environment for producers and exporters.
A robust and enforceable compliance regime is essential for supporting the sector's promotional efforts. A scandal involving the misrepresentation of the provenance or composition of wine would potentially damage Australia's reputation for producing quality wines with truthful labels. Not all wine producing countries share the reputation enjoyed by Australia. It is critical to maintain this competitive advantage.
Australia is increasingly recognised as an abundant source of regionally distinctive wines made from an array of both traditional and recently introduced grape varieties. Maintaing the integrity of region and variety claims has never been more important.
More details about exporting and compliance and requirements can be found in the Wine Australia Licensing and Compliance Guide.
New Wine Export Approvals software, WALAS, is now available.
Enhanced access, greater flexibility, 24 x 7 self-service access
Frequently asked questions
Export process
There are three main steps you need to follow.
- You will need an export licence. You can get further information here, or access the online application form here.
- . Once you have a licence you will need to apply for product approval via WALAS for each product you intend to export
- When you are ready to ship your products, you will normally need a shipping permit. A shipping application can be submitted via WALAS. Exemptions apply in limited situations. You can find out more here.
Labelling
In general, you can only use the name of a grape variety, or a synonym, if it is on the “authorised grape varieties” page. If the name you wish to use is not on the list you can apply to Wine Australia for it to be added.
Market import requirements
Documentation requirements vary between export markets. For specific, up-to-date information refer to our Export Market Guides.
In markets where Australian wines receive preferential tariff treatment (for example, China through the China–Australia Free Trade Agreement), you will generally require a Certificate of Origin to verify that your wine is from Australia.
Other certificates, such as a Certificate of Free Sale, may be required to verify that the wine complies with Australian law. You can find information about what certificates are required for which markets in our Export Market Guides.
You can apply for most certificates using WALAS.