Wine trade out to boost presence in Europe
The visit, organised in partnership with wine regions and wineries, will give participants first-hand experience of Australian wine through winery visits, dinners, masterclasses and themed tastings that cover broad-ranging topics and styles such as chardonnay, pinot noir, riesling, topaque, muscat, alternative varieties, organic and biodynamic wines.
Wine Australia's regional director, Europe, Yvonne May said the trip would let participants experience the quality and diversity of Australian wines and help build Australia's position within the wine trade.
"This will give these highly influential visitors opportunity to experience the regions, meet the people and hear the stories that make Australian wines stand out ... to help grow a sustainable, profitable position among the UK, European and Irish trade," Ms May said.
Wine Australia's regional director for Australia and emerging markets, Aaron Brasher, said reaching out to sommeliers and wine educators was crucial and part of the industry's wider strategy to educate drinkers at restaurants and venues about Australian wines.
"A credible person in a wine store or a sommelier is incredibly impactful and measurable, they can sell wine," Mr Brasher said.
He said Wine Australia would focus on the country's more prestigious wines as it talks to sommeliers and wine educators, hoping the trickle-down affect would then help mid-priced and lower-priced wines.
"It's about creating the halo effect," Mr Brasher explained. "You start at the top and you bring everything under that to create positive reinforcement, and its reinforcing the regionality, diversity and quality of Australia's wine regions."
Remi Cousin, assistant head sommelier at Heston Blumenthal's three-Michelin-star British eatery The Fat Duck, is on the tour. He said Australia needed to produce a better classification system across brands and regions that gave drinkers a multi-level offering set at a wide range of prices.
"A prestige wine is not a wine you will sell the most of," he said. "You also need middle-range prices wines like in Champagne where you have non-vintage, vintage and then the prestige."
Of the 900 wines stocked by The Fat Duck, only 10 per cent were Australian.
While it would sell a bottle of Penfolds Grange once every six months, there was a need for premium wines priced at about £100($145) a bottle.
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Wine Australia organised the visit to showcase the regional diversity and quality of Australian wines, giving influential European sommeliers, educators and writers first‑hand experience through winery visits, dinners, masterclasses and themed tastings to help build Australia’s position with UK, European and Irish trade.
By educating sommeliers and wine educators—who are highly influential in restaurants and shops—Wine Australia hopes a focus on prestige wines will create a 'halo effect' that trickles down to boost recognition and sales of mid‑priced and lower‑priced Australian wines across Europe.
Wine Australia says credible people in wine stores and sommeliers are incredibly impactful and measurable: if trade influencers recommend Australian wines in restaurants and retail, it can directly increase sales and awareness among European drinkers.
The tour covers a broad range of Australian styles including chardonnay, pinot noir, riesling, topaque, muscat, alternative varieties, and also highlights organic and biodynamic wines, plus the country’s more prestigious bottlings.
The article notes a high Australian dollar and competitive offerings from other new‑world producers as well as traditional nations such as France and Germany are undercutting Australian markets, which the industry is trying to address through trade engagement.
Remi Cousin suggested Australia needs a better classification system across brands and regions to offer multi‑level pricing—like Champagne’s non‑vintage, vintage and prestige tiers—and argued there’s also a need for mid‑range premium wines around £100 to broaden market appeal.
According to the article, of the 900 wines stocked by The Fat Duck, only about 10% were Australian; the restaurant sells a bottle of Penfolds Grange roughly every six months, highlighting room to grow premium Australian listings in high‑end venues.
Participants will take part in winery visits, dinners, masterclasses and themed tastings designed to let them experience regions, meet producers and hear the stories behind Australian wines to better promote them in European markets.
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