- Published:
- Thursday 10 September 2015
Victoria’s best drops are on show in Shanghai this week, as part of the three day Jinh’an International Sparkling Wine Festival.
Attending the Festival in Shanghai, Minister for Agriculture Jaala Pulford today supported the launch of the new Chinese multimedia promotional program, Wine the Australian Way, which profiles key wine regions, wineries, restaurants, accommodation and activities in regional Victoria.
Running across TV, print and online mediums, Wine the Australian Way will provide Chinese consumers with a better understanding of the qualities and attributes of Australian wine.
Earlier in the day, Ms Pulford celebrated the success of the Andrews Labor Government’s inaugural Meet the Winemaker inbound trade mission in May, which resulted in major Chinese importer Shanghai Safe International Logistics exporting almost 7000 bottles of wine to China worth approximately $80,000.
This is one of a number of initial outcomes from the program.
Victoria’s wine exports to China were worth $52 million in 2013-14, a figure predicted to increase following implementation of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement.
Under the Agreement, tariffs of 14 to 20 per cent on wine will be eliminated within 4 years helping to make Australian wine more competitive.
The Jing’an International Sparkling Wine Festival is the first and only sparkling wine festival in China and is expected to attract around 15,000 wine lovers over the next three days.
Ms Pulford is on a four-day visit to China, meeting with importers, retailers, investors and Chinese government officials, reinforcing important trade and investment relationships in the world’s fastest growing market.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Agriculture Jaala Pulford
“Victorian wine is recognised globally for a number of its award-winning varietals including riesling, chardonnay, pinot noir, shiraz, cabernet, merlot and sparkling wines.”
“There’s enormous opportunities here in China to expand our exports further to supply China’s rapidly expanding middle class.”
“Our inaugural Meet the Winemaker program is already delivering dividends for Victorian wine producers. We’ll keep on working to drive investment, grow exports and put our wine in glasses across the world.”