While our larger wine companies are sensibly predicting a slowdown in sales over the terrorist issue, September’s export sales figures of 44m litres (the highest for any single month) present Australia with yet another export record. For the year ending September 30, exports of 354m litres were up by 18% on the year before, and at A$1.68bn were up 19% in value. Current export market shares are: UK 43%; the US 26%, Canada 6%, New Zealand 3% and Germany 3%. By way of contrast, domestic sales of Australian wine in August were 10.4% less than for the same month in 2000.
