New wine markets in focus for South Australia

A South Australian program to help small and medium wine businesses start exporting to Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and India has been launched in the wake of continued uncertainty about shipments to China.

The South Australian Wine Industry Association has announced the new export-focused project that will help wine producers diversify into the emerging Asian markets for the first time.

The Emerging Markets Program will develop a series of resources on each of the four markets to help wineries know what to expect and how to prepare. Each resource will consist of a market overview of each country, information about sales channels, an in-depth consumer profile and a guide to doing business in each market.

SAWIA chief executive Brian Smedley said the program aimed to equip wine businesses with the tools and opportunities they needed to enter the four emerging markets.

“We’ll also provide case studies, a guide to conducting tastings and explore traditional wine and food pairings in each market,” he said.

“If they then decide to travel to those markets or engage with them virtually, they will be aware of the tips and traps that they might face and be able to showcase their wine to interested persons in a structured way.

“This program is welcome good news for South Australian wine businesses given uncertainty in some of our existing export markets.”

The second part to the Emerging Markets Program is the development of a turn-key South Australian wine education program for decision-makers in each market, including wine importers, buyers, distributors and hospitality professionals.

“We’re aiming to equip wine businesses with the tools and opportunities they need to enter these emerging markets, which will assist with business sustainability during this Covid19 recovery phase,” Smedley said.

“We’ll explain the current performance and perception of Australian wine in each market and the opportunities for South Australian businesses.

“We’ll also provide case studies, a guide to conducting tastings and explore traditional wine and food pairings in each market.”

Last year was a bumper year for Australian wine exports but 2020 is shaping to be much quieter with exports to China remaining under threat.