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WA wine making its mark in the UK

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Attracting over 1000 trade and press representatives, Wine Australia’s Annual Trader Tasting is the largest gathering of Australian wines in the UK.  This year’s event took place on 19th January 2011, at the Saatchi Gallery in London.

Some 20 Western Australian wineries were represented at the tasting, including Barwick Estate, Clairault, Cullen, Evans and Tate, Fraser Gallop, Hayshed Hill, Leeuwin Estate, McHenry Hohnen, Moss Wood, Vasse Felix, Voyager and Xanadu which featured on the Margaret River Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc table.

The event also included the launch of a new promotional global strategy for Wine Australia, A+ Australian Wine. This re-branding will encourage consumers to not only recognise and purchase premium Australian wine, but also help lift the profile of regionally distinct wine.

Even in the economic downturn, Australian wine has maintained its number one position in the UK off-trade market in 2009-2010, with a 21.7 per cent value share. Western Australia produces only 4 per cent of Australia’s wine by volume, but nearly 20 per cent by value and accounts for 30 per cent of Australia’s high value wines.

Tourism WA teamed up with Oz Clarke, a leading wine expert and TV presenter, to promote WA in the UK on Australia Day. Mr Clarke was interviewed by media such as BBC Radio Wales and the Sunday Times Travel Magazine, reaching more than 2.2 million people, to discuss tales of his extraordinary experiences with wine tasting and travelling around Australia's South West. The video of Oz is has also been pitched to various websites to encourage consumers to try more WA wine, both at their own home and in the beautiful landscapes where it was made.

To watch the interview, click here.

Western Australian premium wine from Churchview Estate was also a great success at an Australia Day function held at the Museum Ludwig in Koln and complemented the earlier stimulating experience viewing aboriginal art at an exhibition at the Museum which featured a number of artists from Western Australia.