More and more Australian winemakers are choosing to bottle wines overseas to save costs, and this is reflected in increased bulk wine exports. Bottled wine exports dropped in volume by 10 per cent, although their value has been rising steadily since 2010.
Less cheap wine is being exported in bottles, and there’s been solid growth in the sale of premium wines.
The Australian Grape and Wine Authority says:
“Although the bottled wine segment is small in volume terms, with a five per cent share, it’s value is around $443 million.”
At the extreme end of the price spectrum, “ultra-premium” wines, which are those sold above $50 a litre, showed the biggest jump in sales.