Britons Are Guzzling the Australian Wine That Didn’t Go to China
- Strong sales to Europe countered slump to China after tariffs
- Total Australian wine exports fell just 1% in value last year
Wine barrels and pallets of bottles at a winery in the Yarra Valley, Australia, in December 2020.
Photographer: James Bugg/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Australia ramped up wine sales to Europe to a 10-year high, led by a surge to the U.K., which helped the country overcome crippling Chinese tariffs that effectively shut access to its most prized market.
The value of exports to Europe climbed 22% last year, according to data from Wine Australia. The standout performer was the U.K. where shipments jumped 29% over the full year after demand increased at the start of the coronavirus pandemic and was boosted in the months leading up to Brexit.