Australia aims to be world’s ‘pre-eminent’ wine producer

A new strategy designed to revitalise Australia’s wine industry aims to make the country the world’s ‘pre-eminent’ wine producing nation in the longer term.

The Australian Grape and Wine Authority Strategic Plan 2015-2020, released on 1 July, also revives the Wine Australia name a year after the body was merged with Australia’s Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation (GWRDC) to form the new Australian Grape and Wine Authority (AGWA).

‘In response to feedback from the wider grape and wine community, from 1 July, the majority of our activities will be conducted under the name Wine Australia, our long-established brand used for our market development activities,’ said Brian Walsh, Wine Australia chair.

Under the terms of the strategy, Wine Australia will invest about A$35m each year over the next five years, in research and development, building markets, educational activities and other initiatives.

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The new strategy has the immediate aims of boosting the demand and premium paid for Australian wine, as well as increasing its competitiveness in the global marketplace.

But, in the introduction to the new strategy, Walsh expresses grander ambitions: ‘Our longer-term goal is for Australia to be recognised as the world’s pre-eminent wine producing country,’ he writes.

‘We believe that it is time to sharpen the focus on our distinctively Australian fine wines and what makes them special … Striving to achieve this ambitious, cross-generational goal will help achieve our shorter-term goal of a prosperous Australian grape and wine community.

‘This five-year plan is stage one of our cross-generational ambition.’