April 11: Bitten and dented by China pulling the plug in an effort to choke the wine industry, Australia has Plan B ready to be unveiled on 27 April when wine buyers around the world will be able to discover and connect with Australian wines on a first-of-its-kind virtual platform called Australia WineConnect being launched on 27 April, writes Subhash Arora who believes such platform was already deployed more than once by World Bulk Wine Exhibition (WBWE) last year and would anyway like to caution against optimism in the fragile and overcrowded Indian market bearing the burden of heavy duties and restrictive policies for foreign wines making expansion a dream
Australian WineConnect has devised an entirely new framework for sustenance of wine producers during the Corona pandemic when business travel has been reduced to a trickle, trade shows and exhibitions have been cancelled and more and more attention is on digital interactivity. The virtual platform gives a 24*7 opportunity for B2B matching with retailers, on-trade and club customers in the US, UK, Canada, Asia and other countries.
Over 230 exhibitors have registered already and with over 1900 wine products, Australia Connect will hopefully, soon become a go-to resource for Australian wines over the next one year. Global trade will be able to conduct business with Australian wine brands in the Expo. It will also provide an opportunity to explore and gain insight into Australia’s commercially robust and technically correct wines.
One would need to register to gain access to the Expo featuring powerful search tools to allow the wine merchants to look at hosts of Australian wines, wineries by region, style or variety and start conversations with the right brands to foster lasting relationships, according to Wine Business.
Also read: WBWE 2020: WBWEconnect for buyers and sellers from 23 Nov - 4 Dec
The programme connects 65 diverse wine regions and varieties that make Australia lucrative. The wine trade will also be able to explore new wines through specially curated collections during the period of promotion. There is a Conversations section that will feature an ongoing series of live gatherings, including quarterly keynotes panel discussions on the future of drinking by global influencers, and a monthly discussions into key varieties and virtual tastings targeted to individual markets around the globe.
The launch on 27 April will introduce Australian Wine Connect to the international wine trade. It will be hosted by Australian wine writer, Mike Bennie, who will lead a series of conversations with some of Australia’s cutting-edge winemakers as well as offer a preview of the platform’s many features and activities over the next one year.
Andreas Clark, CEO of Wine Australia says, ‘we are proud to bring the Australian spirit of innovation and creativity for which we are world-famous, to the way we do business. Wine Australia has been working hard to develop a valuable opportunity for Australian wineries to continue marketing and selling their wines overseas this year’. He hopes that this will generate positive commercial results. This dynamic approach will foster hundreds of lasting relationships between Australian wine producers and international wine trade.
The Australian wine community is always pushing the boundaries and Australian Wine Connect will be an evolving resource showcasing the people, places and processes that make Australian wine special. Each month there will be focus on varieties explorations for international trade. After the launch event, Connect Conversations will continue with a focus on Cabernet Sauvignon, with a global comparative Cabernet tasting on 12 May with panel discussions among industry experts, including a localised tastings for key markets. For more information and to register for the event on 27 April please click here.
The importance given to wine business in Australia can be gauged by the fact that Wine Australia was incorporated under a government Act in 2013. It is funded jointly by grape growers and winemakers through levies, and the Australian Government which provides matching funding for Research, Development and Adoption (RDA) investments and also marketing programs, to support the domestic market and exports. It also administers the Export and Regional Wine Support Package (ERWSP). It allotted $A 50 million for this activity carried out successfully about 3 years ago. India needs a platform like this if and when the producers become serious about being competitive in the export market.
Also read: WBWE Asia: Virtual Wine Exhibition on 10-12 July in Yantai China
Interestingly, World Bulk Wine Exhibition (WBWE) was a pioneer in using this format, last year when a wine show in Yantai China had to be changed into a virtual platform. It was an on-line trading system by which wineries could establish direct contact with buyers through a technological system of virtual communication including HD screen was evolved. It was the way to guarantee that the wineries and producers could maintain their stand at the fair without having to move from their country of origin.
It repeated the same WBWE Connect in lieu of the annual Show at Amsterdam on 23 Nov-4 Dec 2020 to bring together the buyers and sellers who needed to transact business
Subhash Arora
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