Hawke’s Bay red wines taking on Australia market

8 September 2009

Media release

Hawke’s Bay red wines taking on Australia market

Hawke’s Bay is gearing up to ripple the waters of the Australian wine market as part of the regional wine industry’s strategy to collectively market local wines across the Tasman.

Lyn Bevin, Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers Inc. Executive Officer will be representing the region next week at the New Zealand Winegrowers Spring New Release Tasting being held in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. (Ed: September 14, 16 and 21 respectively.)

This is the first time the region has had its own representative present at the influential distributors, media and trade event and is a result of funding HBWG received from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise under its Regional Strategy Fund.

“For so long Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers has lacked the resources to deliver to an international audience. We can now support selected events within the New Zealand Winegrowers’ generic marketing programme, and develop our own events to increase wine exports from our region,” Ms Bevin said.

Australia is New Zealand’s biggest wine market and Ms Bevin will be presenting 10 new releases from Hawke’s Bay that have been selected to show the region’s red wine strengths alongside wines submitted by New Zealand wineries active in the Australian market.

The local wines selected by Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers are some of the best in the region and were chosen on wine show results and through the organisation’s own selection process. The line up of 10 includes three Merlots, three Syrahs, and four Bordeaux blends, all from different wineries. Each participating winery has been asked to promote one of their Hawke’s Bay commercial red wines at the event as well.

The tasting is a self-serve format in a non-commercial environment with wines displayed by varietal and vintage. Organisers intend that wineries seeking distribution for their wines will be clearly marked as such.

“It’s an opportunity for key decision makers or commentators to assess what’s on offer without any bias from winery representatives,” Ms Bevin says.

“I’ll get to see and hear market responses directly without any censor. I’ll also be working to increase the interest in Hawke’s Bay wines and demonstrate that there is so much more to the New Zealand wine story than Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.”

Ms Bevin will be reporting on her trip to her organisation’s membership on her return.

This trip is the first initiative of the HBWG’s international strategy. A second is the inclusion of Hawke’s Bay wines at the New Zealand in a Glass 2010 events being held in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in February next year.

NZ in a Glass is New Zealand Winegrowers largest wine event and this year was attended by around 3000 trade, media and consumers, with all three locations selling out; the Sydney date sold out in two days for the second year running.

Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers Inc will attend the 2010 event for the first time representing the regional story “with wines that illustrate just how fantastic we can be”, and in support of the Hawke’s Bay wineries that will also be participating, Ms Bevin said. “This event has a growing consumer element where Hawke’s Bay’s wines can offer a full range of styles.”

In a third wave of the assault onto the Australian market, HBWG is planning to extend its successful Hot Red Hawke’s Bay expo itinerary of Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland to add on Melbourne and Sydney in July next year.

“We have an extremely successful and popular trade, media and consumer event that we believe will work as effectively in Australia. Visitors we have hosted from the Australian market have always shown a lot of interest in Hot Red Hawke’s Bay and asked whether and when we could bring it to their cities,” Ms Bevin said.

ENDS

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