Australia top New Zealand exports
According to annual results just released by New Zealand Winegrowers, Australia has become New Zealand’s largest export market for wine with export sales up 37% to a record NZ$247 million (£133million) in the last year.
Overall exports reached $800 million (£431 million) for 2008, up 14%, while exports to the United Kingdom grew by 8%.
New Zealand Winegrowers chair, Stuart Smith, said a focus on quality and a strong, unified industry were major factors in the 2008 result.
It's exciting to see the exports of New Zealand wine growing each year in both our key export markets and emerging markets such as Japan and Ireland, which are brimming with potential. It is clear as consumers become increasingly more discerning, that the quality of New Zealand wine increasingly stands out, Smith said.
