Australia as a Major Wine Producing Nation

Australia is a major wine-producing nation and offers an ideally balanced, delicate wine very much in the French style. In 1991, alcoholic beverages were among the top 15 U.S. imports from Australia, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. There is clearly a market for this wine product.

The U.S. consumer segment is highly educated, affluent, and health conscious. It is focussed on the 35-45 age group, which is expected to grow 16 percent by the year 2000. This group tends to purchase chardonnays and cabernets with ample fruit flavor--the type of wine Australians are now exporting.

The market has been changing with demographic shifts in the United States and with changing perceptions of alcohol consumption both positive and negative. One key development has been the emphasis on wine as a healthful product and as a health aid, in part because of news stories about reduced heart attack risk and other health benefits. Australian wines have found a market in the United States, a market that has been growing, and there are signs that these wines are being accepted more and more by the consumer who might previously have turned to French and California wines only.

Australia has emerged as one of the more important wine exporting countries and is known as among the best for overall quality, variety, value, and image. The industry is over 200 years old and has some of the best growing conditions and most advanced technology in the world.

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ers, each consumes on average a single glass of wine a week, and only 5 percent of Americans can be called frequent wine drinkers, consuming an average 5.9 glasses, or about one bottle, per week. The data indicate as well that there are demographic differences that are strong. On average, wine drinkers are better educated and earn more money than non-wine drinkers, and frequent wine drinkers climb even higher in these categories. The prototype of the American wine drinker is a female about 45 to 64. She is college-educated and probably lives in a household that is upper income. She typically drinks at home, usually during a meal, and particularly at dinner (Matthews, 1991, p. 24). Wine has a particular image in America as well, a generally positive image when compared with other alcoholic beverages. Acceptance of wine drinking seems to rise with educational level, and this may be related to an increased awareness of health trends and study data. There is a belief that wine can be healthful (Matthews, 1991, p. 25). Wine also has an image as a status symbol, which helps explain why its use increases with education and income level. Wine is generally used to facilitate some social interaction in the home, and there is a pos

Category: Foreign - A