Industry overview

Australia is a leading producer of premium quality and branded wines, and exports to over 85 countries.

To address the growing demand for Australian wine, there are more than 5,000 independent grape growers who manage over 140,000 hectares under vine. Drawn from 55 regions, wine grapes are processed at over 1,450 wineries nationwide.

Soil biodiversity, good natural climate and effectively managed climatic conditions ensure that each wine growing region produces wine grapes with distinctive characteristics that reflect the richness and diversity of the land. This enables wine producers to constantly explore and develop innovative wine styles that emphasise complexity and depth of flavour.

The main varieties of wine grapes currently being produced in Australia are shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, merlot, semillon and colombard. With increasing production of red grapes, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon are likely to remain dominant in the medium term with chardonnay leading in the white grapes category.

Vintage Reports, produced by the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation and the Winemakers Federation of Australia, identify and provide updates on production for Australia's key wine growing districts and regions.

Australian capability

In addition to a rich and diverse natural environment enabling the production of exciting wine varieties, the Australian wine industry is driven by a number of factors that make it internationally successful, including:

• Production of a wide range of wines representing quality and value
• Focus on premium varieties (>70 per cent of production)
• Australian wines are brand dominated rather than defined by geographic appellation
• Innovative technologies and targeted research and development
• High volume of export to high-value markets
• Dynamic marketing and promotion through a unified industry
• Global companies that can respond to changing customer preferences
• Increased company consolidation enabling a more diverse range of wine
• Growing focus on preservative-free and organic wines.

(Source: Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation)

The Australian wine industry has state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities for processing, bottling, storage, labelling and packaging. Technical innovation at all levels of production — from the vineyard to the winery — has enabled the sourcing of better quality fruit with greater efficiency.

Increased automation, advances in controlled atmospheres, and innovative packaging (such as the recent licensing of Australian-developed 'wine in a can') and labelling, all contribute to the production of quality Australian wine.

For more information on Australia's food and wine capabilities (in English), see the Austrade website.