Pernod Ricard Japan

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Matt Wilce sips some of Australia' best vintages

If you follow the stereotype you might mistakenly think that Australians couldn't give a XXXX (you Yanks read "four ex") for anything other than an ice-cold beer from the esky. These days you're more likely to find Aussies sipping Chardonnay or Shiraz rather than a tin of Castlemaine, and Japanese wine buffs are about to be wowed by a new crop of top notch vintages from vineyards Down Under. With a new wine producer opening for business every 72 hours, it seems as if Australia has a new national drink.

          So what makes Aussie wine so consumer-friendly? "Because most of the bigger-selling brands are made by using multiregional blending, the wine is very consistent and easy to understand for the consumer," says Vincent Nelias, product manager at Pernod Ricard, one of Japan's leading wine distributors. "For example, French wine is defined by the chateau, vintage, appellation and other ratings such as Grand Cru, etc., whereas Australian wine is sold mainly using the brand, the variety and vintage, which are consistent throughout the Australian wine portfolio sold internationally," he continues. "The Australian wine industry has also been quite unique in its marketing of eBrand Australia' over the last 10 to 15 years," adds Wyndham Estate winemaker Brett McKinnon, who was recently in Tokyo to conduct tastings of his vineyard's range.

          The Wyndham Estate in New South Wales' Hunter Valley is Australia's oldest winery and has been producing great vintages since Englishman George Wyndham tended the first vines in 1828. Currently, the winery ships everything from whites such as Bin 222 Chardonnay and Bin 777 Semillon to venerable reds like Bin 444 Cabernet Sauvignon and Bin 333 Pinot Noir, though according to McKinnon their most popular wine in the Japanese market is the Bin 555 Shiraz. Sadly no new wines are due in 2002, and Wyndham winemakers will spend the coming year developing a "strong focus on building the awareness and quality image of the brand." Fans will have to wait until 2003 for new treats.

          Australia's number one selling brand, Jacob's Creek has become synonymous with good value and consistency, making it a household name from Woop Woop to Washington. Hailing from Barossa Valley in South Australia, the brand distributes popular varieties such as Shiraz, Cabernet, Grenache Shiraz, Chardonnay, Riesling and a sparkling Chardonnay-Pinot Noir. As of next year, wine buffs in Japan can look forward to a new variety—Jacob's Creek Cabernet Sauvignon. Although Cabernet Sauvignon is one of Japan's favorite reds, next spring will see the brand's version of the classic debut here. "We also plan to launch Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz and Reserve Chardonnay for wine connoisseurs interested in premium products from Australia," says Nelias.

          With the Asian wine boom ongoing despite recession, the dominant trend continues to be towards red wines, with Cabernet Sauvignon leading when it comes to recognition. With a reputation for producing strong reds, the land down under is in a strong position to capitalize. "Shiraz is becoming consistently recognized as an excellent Australian red wine, and there is an increasing interest in Australian wines at the higher quality/price end in general," comments Nelias. Elsewhere the end of the Chardonnay boom, which boosted both Californian and Australian white sales, is driving up interest in other varieties such as Riesling and Grenache in the international market. Chardonnay continues to be one of the major exports of Aussie wineries, though, along with Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.

According to Australian Wine Online, the industry aims to achieve $4.5 billion in annual sales by 2025 to become the world's most profitable supplier of branded wines. If the response at McKinnon's recent wine tasting in Tokyo were anything to go by, the burgeoning Japanese market could help them achieve their target, with wine buffs here raising their Cabernet to the sound of "Cheers mate!" rather than an Old World "Salut!"

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