It is celebration time for the Australian wine industry, as the sector revels in a record making 12 month stint.

Wine exports to China have cracked the lucrative $1 billion mark, as the amount of exports being sent to Beijing increased 51% in the 12 months to March.

With the phenomenon of westernisation and our wine drinking culture becoming a major fascination for the Chinese, Chief Executive of Wine Australia Andreas Clark says the value of the market cannot be overstated.

“The China story is central to this growth,” he says.

“Ten years ago, we exported $25 million to China and now we’re topping $ 1billion. It has certainly been a great rise for Australian wine exports.”

Though Australia’s free trade agreement with China gives us the competitive edge when it comes to consolidating export success, Mr Clark says other markets cannot be neglected.

“Other markets continue to be an important part of the mix. You always want to have diversification in your export profile.”

“We’re continuing to push hard into the traditional markets of the UK and the US.”

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