Record rise in Austria’s wine exports

Following a 4% increase in revenue, Austria’s wine exports hit EUR 137.5m. In the coming years especially the export activities across the Asian region will be boosted.

Austrian wines enjoy an excellent reputation and are sought after across the world. Wine exports rose by more than 4% in 2013, reaching EUR 137.5m even though volumes were down due to the small 2012 grape harvest. For the first time ever, the average export price has increased to EUR 3 per litre, compared to EUR 0.83 ten years ago, following a slump in the market for cheap table wine and a subsequent surge in quality bottled wine exports.
The main reason for these record sales figures is wine exports to Great Britain, Japan, Benelux and Scandinavia; it is no longer enough to be successful in a handful of major export markets such as Germany, Switzerland and the United States.
As a result, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board will be targeting Asia to increase exports for the next five years, with a particular focus on China, where wine exports have increased by 50% for the second time in a row.
There has been a major structural shift in the Austrian wine industry in the last few years. In 2009 Austria was home to just under 1,000 businesses producing more than 30,000 litres of wine. By 2012 this figure had already exceeded 1,600.