Wine Australia trade program boosts Margaret River wines in the ‘highly competitive’ US market

The region’s leading wineries have the United States in its sights as part of a revamped investment project confirmed this week.

Vintners from the Margaret River wine region will have extra support to gain traction in the US wine market, after fresh funding from peak groups boosted Wine Australia’s existing US Market Entry Program.

Other industry groups alongside Wines of WA tipped funds into the expansion program which has already benefited some local wineries and is set to help more.

Margaret River Wine Association chief Amanda Whiteland said wineries Cape Landing, Small Things Wine, and Byron & Harold were among the new recruits.

“In 2021-22, Capel Vale Wines, Forester Estate, McHenry Hohnen, Calneggia Family Vineyards and Vinaceous Wines participated in Wine Australia’s Market Entry Program, and I believe all except but one producer have achieved new placements with suitable national importers and retailers and achieved good initial sales,” she said.

McHenry Hohnen sales manager Blair Poynton said US exports were under way within a year of joining the program.

“Their (Wine Australia’s) US-based team offered incredible tailored support throughout the process, from sending our first samples through to signing with our new importer,” he said.

“The US market is obviously a diverse and complex one, its regulatory system also.

“Having advocates on the ground to get our wines to the right prospective customers and to provide insight was invaluable.”

While wineries paid for involvement, the scheme aimed to recover much of that investment from boosted exports.

Wine Australia’s American regional general manager Aaron Ridgway said increasing premiumisation of national wine products helped in the “highly competitive market”.

“The timing has never been better,” he said.

“There are more Australian wineries exporting to the US than there have been in more than 10 years, including at higher price points, which is contributing to a more diverse, premium and resilient category.

“This is also helping to demonstrate the variety of wine from Australia.”

Mr Ridgway said Australian wines and its quality was increasingly on the US radar.

In 2022, wine exports to the US increased by 13 per cent in volume to 140 million litres and was Australia’s highest-value export market, valued at $390 million.