De Bortoli Thrives on Global Demand for Premium Wines

Wine Australia’s September quarterly report has named Victoria’s Yarra Valley as one of Australia’s top 15 Geographical Indication (GI) regions. This identifies the wine produced in the region as possessing a given quality, reputation, or other characteristics of the wine attributable to the geographical origin of the Yarra Valley.

The September report showed an overall growth of Australian wine exports, with more than half the value growth being in wines of $10 per litre and above FOB (Free on Board), reflecting the “increasing demand for premium Australian wines in most regions around the world, particularly Northeast Asia”.

De Bortoli Wines has reported that it had witnessed the growth first-hand. As Australia’s seventh largest wine exporter, De Bortoli has reported an increase in demand for its premium quality wines globally, but most notably in Asia with a growth of 42 per cent since 2014. During the same time frame as Wine Australia’s Sempember quartlery report, De Bortoli’s export of it’s Yarra Valley wines in particular grew by 94 per cent.

A cool climate region, the Yarra Valley is known for its European style wines. The identification as one of Australia’s top 15 GI regions only reinforces De Bortoli’s “sense of place” philosophy that “wine should taste of the region where the grapes that made it are grown”.

Victor De Bortoli, Executive Director of De Bortoli Wines, stated, “The Yarra Valley is primed to deliver on demand for premium wines because many of the region’s local vineyards have come of age and can deliver the quality expected to meet growing international tastes – in fact the Yarra Valley is selling everything it can make.

“It’s exciting to see this is translating into sales, especially when you look at the value per litre figures in the Wine Australia Export Report. There’s no doubting the region is becoming regarded as among the most respected in Australia for producing top quality wines.”

Sarah Shi from Sulu Wines, one of De Bortoli’s import partners in China, stated, “More and more people are learning of Australia’s fine wine culture, they are understanding and valuing wines with a respected Australian reputation.”

With demand so high, De Bortoli has seen the entire stock of its most premium Pinot Noir, the Riorret Lusatia Park Pinot Noir 2015, and most premium Chardonnay, the Yarra Valley Section A5 Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2015, allocated for sale prior to being released to the market.

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