International demand for fine Australian wine grew strongly in 2018, with an increase in wine exports of 10 per cent in value to $2.82 billion free on board (FOB) and 5 per cent in volume to 850 million litres (94 million 9-litre case equivalents) in the year ended 31 December 2018.
‘These figures demonstrate strong international demand and they highlight how Australian wine exporters have worked diligently to develop and maintain international markets’, said Andreas Clark, CEO Wine Australia.
‘This demand translated into growth in almost all price segments’, he said. (See Figure 1)
Bottled wine shipments increased by 7 per cent in value to $2.24 billion and decreased in volume by 3 per cent to 361 million litres (equivalent to 40 million 9-litre cases). This saw the average value of bottled wine grow by 10 per cent to a record $6.20 per litre FOB.
Unpackaged wine also experienced outstanding growth, reaching record levels in value (up 27 per cent to $560 million) and volume (up 12 per cent to 480 million litres or 53 million 9-litre case equivalents). The average value of unpackaged wine continued to grow, increasing by 14 per cent to $1.17 per litre.