Australian wines, most of them from South Australia, the state which accounts for half of the country's wine production, are giving top-selling French varieties in Hong Kong a serious run for their money.
'Australian wines are increasing their market share - and it's at the expense of French wines,' said William Lin, marketing officer for agribusiness and food and beverage for Austrade, a division of Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Mr Lin attributes the popularity to value-for-money and variety. The biggest sellers are in the $65 to about $200 price range, he said.
According to the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation, South Australia produces 67 per cent of the country's total wine exports. These wines include such icons as the Penfolds Grange, a blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, and Henschke Hill of Grace, from vines planted in 1860 in the Eden Valley. The Wolf Blass Gold Label Riesling 1999, a blend of the best Riesling regions Clare Valley and Eden Valley, was judged 'Wine of the Year' in the 1999-2000 Penguin Australian Wine Guide while the Henschke Julius Eden Valley 1998 was judged 'Best White and Riesling'.
The 'Best Red' was another South Australian blend - a Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz.
According to a state government website, in 1998-99, South Australian wines accounted for A$700 million (HK$3 billion) out of the nation's total wine exports of A$1 billion.
