| Australian wine must move upmarket to survive in the rising tide of commodity wine swamping the global wine market, says Brian Croser, a renowned industry figure in Australia, reports 'The Australian News'. He said 'there is need to build on the solid rock of fine wine and we must try to compete with France, the most successful maker of quality wines'.
"We have to make sure that the world consumer knows that Australian wine is just as good as the traditional French, with added touch of Australia". He has worked for 32 years as a vintner and wine education pioneer, and is presently deputy chancellor of Adelaide University.
"The French are the best at competing in the fine wine business and we haven't even started," he said. Consumption figures show Australia is a net importer of fine wine. Imports of fine wine grew 23 per cent last year, to 3.4 million cases, with an average price of A$9 a litre while exports totalled only 2.1 million cases at an average price of A$3.74 a litre.
"Why aren't we exporting a lot more fine wine than we are importing?" Mr. Croser asked at the American Chamber of Commerce lunch in Adelaide recently.
"We have to accept that commodity wines will be dominated by multinational wine makers who will source wine from anywhere in the world," he said.
Croser said the example was set 20 years ago by the development of premium Sauvignon Blanc wines in New Zealand which has established itself as the world's premier maker of sauvignon blanc and is now racing for the top spot in pinot noir."
Full report at http://www.theaustralian.news.com
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