WINE TRADE ABROAD

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 88, 8 January 1935, Page 14

WINE TRADE ABROAD

Traveller’s Investigation AUSTRALIA’S MARKETS Aspects of the wine trade in England and Europe that concerned Australia as a producer were commented upon toy Mr. D. L. McWilliam, one of the principals o£ a Sydney wine firm, when he arrived in Wellington yesterday as a through passenger by the Maunganui from San Francisco. Together with South, Africa, Australia was increasing her wine trade with. England, Mr. McWilliam said. A certain restriction was brought about by England’s trade treaty with Portugal, which among other things left Portugal with the exclusive rights to the designation of “port.” That had held some Australian wines off the market to some extent because of the average public’s preference for wine called, “port” rather than that with “port type” labelled on the bottle, which was the farthest Australian producers were allowed to go. That was now being overcome by use of the sole designations “ruby” and “tawny.” The treaty with Portugal had some years yet to run, but it was probable that it would be re-enacted, because of the large amount of British private capital invested in the Portuguese wine industry. The average wine drunk in London hotels and restaurants was of the light beverage type, he continued. France had had a practical monopoly of this trade for so many years past that it would be a long time before Australia would be able to break down the prejudice of custom sufficient to get a reasonable representation in this market, even though her product could compare favourably with that of any other part of the world. It was true that certain outstanding wines were ■produced In some parts abroad, but they were always in limited quantities, and it was equally true that Australia’s outstanding wines—also in limited quantities—were just as good. Mr. McWilliam said there seemed little prospect of Australia building up anything like a large wine-export-ing trade with the United States, because wines and spirits were being produced there in large quantities. This was not due merely to the removal of prohibition, for there never had been a ban on the manufacture of wines or spirits, but only their sale and consumption. Only a license had been necessary, which was still the case. Now the country had accumulated stocks to draw upon, arid the vintage had been retained to a large degree.