New Zealand wine exports reach record levels

Written by Claire Weekes

Wednesday, 20 August 2008

New Zealand wine growers are on target to achieve $1 billion (£538 million) of exports by 2010, according annual results released today by New Zealand Winegrowers.

Exports from the country reached a record $800 million (£431 million) for the 2008 year, achieving a year-on-year rise of 14%. Offshore sales for the period totaled 88.6 million litres of wine.

New Zealand Wines says domestic sales of its wine brought total overseas and domestic sales for 2008 to $1.25 billion.

New Zealand Winegrowers chair, Stuart Smith, said a focus on quality and a strong, unified industry were major factors in the 2008 result. "Each year we have made projections about sales and growth and each year these are fulfilled and often surpassed. This year is no exception," he said.

In the last year, Australia has become the largest export market by value, up 37% to a record $247 million. Exports to the United Kingdom grew 8% on 2007.

"It's exciting to see the exports of New Zealand wine growing each year in both our key export markets and emerging markets such as Japan and Ireland, which are brimming with potential.

"It is clear as consumers become increasingly more discerning, that the quality of New Zealand wine increasingly stands out," Smith said.