Stock up on wine from Down Under

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Uncertainty about the fate of Australian wine in China means stocking up on your favorites from Down Under is a good idea, says Matt Bahen, who supplies brands from De Bortoli to CHEERS.

Tensions between Australian and China are no secret. And when it comes to wine, they reached a new level in August as China launched an investigation into whether or not some Australian labels were dumped on the market here. That investigation could mean a tariff of up to 200 per cent.

Investigation announced by Ministry of Commerce

On top of that are calls for retroactive tariffs on Australian wines found to have been unfairly sold in China. And on top of that are worries this month, covered by foreign media outlets, that China might ban, or severely restrict, Australian wine, though we have seen no formal announcement.

Coverage by Daily Mail

Coverage by Bloomberg

This comes as Australia is the top source of imported bottled wine in China by value, which seemed unlikely a few years ago when it ranked far behind France. Australia sent US$1.3 billion of wine to China, including to the niche Hong Kong and Macau markets, last year alone.

Australian wine import value in China 

Source: Daxueconsulting

Now the only thing that seems certain is uncertainty.

Matt Bahen says he is unsure what will happen if he ships wine to China, whether it will get stuck at Customs or make it through. And while there might be large stocks of some major Australian labels in China, Bahen says if you have a favorite brand, think about putting some away.

"Australian wine has always been good value," says Bahen. "And with a ban, it would become even better value."

Thus, if you like sweet Deen Botrytis Semillon during the holidays, you might want to grab a bottle or two now. And if Tussock's Jumper Shiraz or De Bortoli's Deen or Day Tripper series, such as the Cabernet Sauvignon or Moscato, serve as your house wines, maybe increase that to a six-pack.

"It's going to be especially tough going into the holidays," says Bahen. "But a ban is better than another fire or drought."

Hopefully, it doesn't come to that and Australian wine will continue to flow to China.

GIF source: giphy.com

Original by Jim Boyce, Grape Wall of China 葡萄围城

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