Asian toast: Australian wines uncork market in China

Australian bottled wine exports to China soared by 15% year on year in 2012, according to official data, bolstered by a sales push targeting the country’s wealthy drinkers and making Australia the top overseas market for wines priced at more than A$7.5 ($7.9) a litre.

Overall, exports gained 3% globally, with declines in bottled wine exports to some countries offset by increases in bulk wine sales.

“In South Australia, it’s going to be a fantastic year,” said Damian Torresan, a winemaker at Koppamura wines in South Australia. “China has been a bit of a golden ticket for a lot of places sitting on bulk wine for the last few years.”

Though China was by far ahead, bottled wine exports were good across the board in Asia, with those to Japan up by 11%, those to Hong Kong gaining 6% and exports to Thailand up 7%.

In many nations, the changes reflected an increase in wealth and status, with wine the means of showcasing both.

“In terms of Thailand, what we’re hearing is there’s an increase in wealth and increasing wine awareness so people are experimenting and buying more,” said Louisa Aherne, a spokeswoman for Wine Australia, a government agency that supports the wine sector.

“It’s a social status associated with drinking wine so it’s a similar story to that of

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