Australia’s First Families of Wine Travel to the US

This month, Australia’s First Families of Wine (AFFW) will head to the United States as part of Wine Australia’s Spring Roadshow – Australia Up Close.

The twelve families will travel across the country to meet with consumers, trade and media to share their stories and educate them about Australian wine.

AFFW represents Australia’s oldest and most respected multi-generational, family owned wineries, which combine 1380 years of winemaking experience across 50 generations and 16 regions nationwide.

Since the group launched in 2009, it has independently funded trips to the UK, Canada, China, Hong Kong and the US to promote Australian wine.

This will be AFFW’s second time in the US.

Chairman, Bruce Tyrrell, from Tyrrell’s Wines in the Hunter Valley, said the group was eager to head back to the States to support Wine Australia’s efforts in driving the Australian category and continue the message their from their last visit in 2015.  

Tyrrell said, “The US is a major player and an important market in the world of wine and we look forward to sharing our wares, telling our tales and meeting trade and media to continue the reignited interest in quality Australian wine.”

Wine Australia’s Spring Roadshow – Australia Up Close is funded by the $50 million Export and Regional Wine Support Package, allocated in the recent Budget to help grow the value of wine exports and wine tourism here and abroad.

Senator the Hon Anne Ruston, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resource in the Turnbull Government, commented, “It’s been great to work with the wine industry to secure this funding and help put more Australian wine on dinner tables around the world.

“We’re an exporting nation – we’re not going to get rich selling to ourselves. The commitment of Australia’s First Families of Wine to this effort is a stellar example of the industry moving quickly and decisively to leverage the opportunity this funding represents.”

Following on from the US in 2018, the group plans to return to China to help develop the local trade and consumers’ knowledge and appreciation of Australian wine.

The twelve families include Brown Brothers, Campbells, d’Arenberg, De Bortoli Wines, Henschke, Howard Park, Jim Barry Wines, McWilliam’s Wines, Tahbilk, Taylors, Tyrrell’s Wines and Yalumba.