Austria's winemakers to strengthen export focus after strong 2006
Vienna (dpa) - Austrian wines held their strong export position in 2006 despite smaller harvests, Austria's Wine Marketing Agency (OWM) said Thursday evening.
According to OWM estimates, exports sunk to approximately 54 million litres in 2006, but because of higher prices for bottled wines, earnings remained constant at a high level of 66 million euros (86.9 million dollars), outgoing agency head Michael Thurner said.
The higher prices for bottled wine was another indication of the premium quality of local wines, he added.
Austrian wine is worth most to British consumers - they paid an average of 17.6 euro (23.2 dollar) for one litre. "A sensational result. Britain is a very important image market for us," Thurner said.
Equally encouraging are sales in Japan - 100,000 litres, at an average price of 9.7 euros per litre, were exported in 2006. Austrian whites are particularly popular, the wine marketers said. "The Japanese are crazy for our Gruener Vetliners and Rieslings."
The main export market for Austrian wines is still Germany, with 67 per cent of all wine exports going to Austria's large neighbour. As Germany still imports mainly lower-quality wines in barrels, litre prices for Austrian wines were lowest in Germany at 1.7 euros per litre.
Other markets the winemakers have great hopes for are the United States and Switzerland, where exports have been steadily growing. Exports to Russia, another growth market, met with administrative obstacles in 2006 which made it virtually impossible to do business there.
Austria will focus its wine marketing efforts in 2007 on countries where it has already gained a foothold and refrain from entering new markets like China or India at the moment, incoming OWM head Willi Klinger said.
At home, local wines continue to dominate both restaurant sales and home consumption with 84 per cent of all wine sold in restaurants and three out of four bottles bought for private consumption being produced in the country.
The winemakers sharply criticized plans for alcohol bans in the EU region, promoted by Scandinavian EU member states. Josef Pleil, chair of the vintner's association stressed their opposition to alcohol abuse, but said policy similar to recent anti-smoking campaigns was a move in the wrong direction.
Wine was part of the central European culture, Pleil said. "We see wine as a luxury product, something to please and to accompany meals. Bans in Austria will not solve the alcohol problems of Swedish youths," Pleil added. // © 2006 DPA
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