Domestic and international on-premise wine trends for Australia

CGA by NIQ's On-Premise Wine Report shows there's room to grow for Australian wine exports, while older consumers in suburban and rural areas dominate domestic markets. 

James Phillips, Client Solutions Director – ANZ at CGA, said the data is helpful for Australian and New Zealand wine exports hoping to expand their reach in the domestic and international markets.  

"CGA's OPUS research helps paint a vivid and constantly expanding global wine market. Such vibrancy represents an exciting opportunity for the Australian and New Zealander wine industries to expand their reach beyond domestic borders. 

"Our insights exploring the Wine category in depth enables producers, suppliers and operators to optimise their On Premise strategies for growth," said Phillips.

While Australia is a well-known wine producer, many Old World European wine-producing nations, such as Italy, France and Spain, have a hard time accepting imported wine from the New World.

Italy is the market most likely to indulge in a glass of wine when out, with 45 per cent of Italian consumers choosing wine as their drink of choice, while in Australia, 67 per cent of wine drinkers are over 35 and 21 per cent are over 65. 

A late afternoon or evening tipple is universally popular with wine drinkers in Australia, New Zealand and Britain, with consumers in those regions reporting they mainly order wine to relax, socialise and enjoy themselves. Only 30 per cent of consumers view wine as an occasional treat or something to savour.

Australians and New Zealanders, on average, are the most price conscious, with 40 per cent reporting they order based on value for money, but are also concerned with the wine's perceived quality. 

The report suggests there much room for growth in countries that are relatively unaccustomed to Australian and New Zealand wine (ranking 5th and 9th respectively in Vietnam, 7th and 11th in Germany, and 6th and 9th in South Korea), where a deeper understanding of grape variety trends is paramount to developing efficient sales strategies. 

Offering consumers varieties they are familiar with helps them familiarise themselves with lesser-known and newer wine regions, generating sufficient brand trust to lure them into different wine styles in the future, according to CGA. 

Stay up-to-date with the latest industry news with the Drinks Trade e-newsletter.