Japan's Iron Chef French, Hiroyuki Sakai is serving up Australian wine.
"With a sophisticated and expanding customer base, Japan offers an enormous opportunity for Queensland winemakers, which thanks to JAEPA [Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement] can now compete on a level playing field with other New World suppliers."
Implemented in January this year, JAEPA eliminated Japanese tariffs on Australian bulk wine, while phasing out tariffs on bottled and sparkling wine over seven years. The results have been immediate, with a record 11 million litres exported in the year to March to Asia's second-biggest wine market.
The strongest growth came from bulk wine exports, which surged by 414 per cent in the first three months of 2015 compared to 2014. Solid growth was also seen by bottled exports, with volumes rising by 11 per cent and growth in all price points.
"Global Sky acquired Winetree in late 2014 in anticipation of the successful conclusion of Japan-Australia trade talks. We're now focusing on promoting Queensland's Sirromet Wines and other James Halliday five-star rated Australian wines in Japan, with the aim of expanding the premium market in the world's third-biggest economy," Mr Nagata said.
Strong growth is expected in China also, following the recent Chinese-Australian Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA), which was signed on June 17. Following the signing of the ChAFTA, the Grape and Wine Authority now estimates that China is Australia's third-largest market for wine, behind Britain and the United States.
In the 12 months to March, wine exports to China rose 20 per cent to 44 million litres, valued at $242 million. Australian wine is currently below the top ranked Asia exporters, such as France, Chile, Italy, the United States and Spain, but with the recent trade deals in effect, Australia has the opportunity to capture Asian market share.
Sirromet Wines is already enjoying Asian success. According to Rob Hill, director of sales and marketing at Sirromet, its premium Saint Jude wine, sold in Australia at $390 a bottle, sells for upwards of $10,000 in China. Sirromet was recently recognised as a 5 star winery by James Halliday and since opening in 2000 has received over 790 prestigious national and international awards.
For Queensland wineries, the Asian trade deals are likely to cement further growth in demand from the world's fastest-growing region. And with endorsements from celebrity chefs like Mr Sakai, the prospects of serving up more Australian wines on Asian tables have improved immensely.
Source: Toowoomba Chronicle, July 13th 2015
