Australia's wine reputation in its largest export market, the United Kingdom, is changing

Australia's wine reputation in its largest export market is changing.

The United Kingdom is Australia's largest wine export market by volume, worth $370 million a year.

In the past, Australia has been a good source of cheap, everyday drinking wines for UK consumers.

But the industry has worked hard to change that image, and at bottle shops in Scotland its reputation is changing.

Photo: Alan McMilan

Independent bottle shop Drinkmonger manager Alan McMillan, based in Edinburgh, says Australia is slowly gaining ground in the top end of the market place.

"In the last 20 years, at the start of that time period, Australia was thought of as a source of good value, inexpensive, juicy everyday wine.

"There's much more understanding now that it's a source of really serious wine, from lots of different microclimates.

"It still produces good everyday stuff, but we sell much more expensive and more serious Australian wine than we did 10 or 15 years ago in this country."

Wine Australia regional director Aaron Brasher says overall the United Kingdom wine market is in decline.

"Australia's exports decreased by a few percentages in value and volume terms."

Mr Brasher says one of the few wine exporters to grow in the UK market is Chile, filling out the bottom end of the market.

"Australian wine is pushing up price points in the retail trade.

"In the restaurant trade, we're really battling against Italy and France, but we're seeing winds of change and more and more acceptance of Australian wine as a premium offering in the restaurant scene."

Mr McMillian says there's more good quality cheap wine for sale in the UK, making it important to compete at a higher price point.

"South America, Spain and even France are improving their simple everyday wines.

"It's important Australia demonstrates it can make serious wines at the other end of the scale."

Source : ABC Rural 28 September 2014, Laura Poole