A South Australian initiative is taking the state's world-class wines to more markets across the globe and one of the countries in its sights is India.
A select group of international wine importers in the SA Wine Ambassadors Club, a state government-led initiative, spent four days travelling SA last week with 100 producers from ten regions showcasing their best drops.
In its first 18 months, the program had helped 51 SA brands break into six new markets, and generate more than $1.37 million in sales.
Among the group were Indian ambassadors Nikhil Agarwal and Pritish Matai.
Mr Agarwal owns a share in Mumbai-based wine importer Angel's Share and co-organises India's largest wine showcase, ProWine Mumbai.
He says there is huge opportunity in the developing Indian market for SA winemakers.
"In the last 30 years, the pace at which more consumers are starting to drink wine has only increased," he said.
"In the past five years, especially since Covid, that pace is at a level you or I can't fathom.
"Besides the big cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, there is demand for wine coming from smaller cities that aren't as developed and audiences that you wouldn't imagine drinking wine."
Mr Agarwal said the motivating factor behind being in the SAWAC was to bring more SA wines into India.
As well as last week's trade trip, Angel's Share hosted a masterclass at ProWine Mumbai 2023 to give Indian sommeliers, consumers and retailers information on wines from SA.
The company will also distribute a 'mystery box' to consumers in June, which will contain wines from a variety of SA regions to educate drinkers on regional differences.
Mr Agarwal believes 90 per cent of Indians won't be drinking wine anytime soon, but the 10pc or 150 million people left is still a "staggering number" of potential customers.
"We have 4 to 5 million people who drink wine occasionally now and that number is doubling every four to five years, and we have a 15 to 17 per cent increase in wine consumption year on year," he said.
Driving that growth in wine consumption is more people with more disposable income, more wine drinking promoted on television and in film and in popular culture, and the next generation drinking more wine.
"If you're a 20-year-old in Mumbai, you're surrounded by restaurants that have wines on their lists, hotels that have serious wine programs, restaurants with sommeliers, shops that only sell wine, wine bars," he said.
"I'm 45 and all of this didn't exist when I was 20. The new 20-year-old is growing up in an India where wine is already part of the national psyche."
Mr Matai is from the multi-generation Aspri Spirits operating out of Mumbai.
He said previous Indian interest in Australian wine had centred on cheap types, but the free trade agreement signed by the two countries in late 2022 had helped spark a shift in mindset to exploring more premium options.
"From importers in India, and producers in Australia, I think there's excitement on both sides about getting more wine into India's market," Mr Matai said.
"It takes time, but the FTA coupled with the excitement from trade and investment sector, particularly from South Australia, is very encouraging."
Mr Matai said the SAWAC had been an invaluable relationship-building opportunity.
While he says wine is only a young sector in India, he thinks there is massive potential for Australian exporters.
"What it needs is patience and an investment in education and awareness," Mr Matai said.
"We definitely want to get people over and get them talking about Australian wines, and what it means to make wine in the Adelaide Hills, the Barossa and so on."
CONTACTS INVALUABLE FOR SA PARTICIPANT
Building his list of international contacts has been the biggest benefit of SAWAC involvement for Barrister's Block owner Lachlan Allen.
The Woodside vignerons and winemakers produce Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and just planted Fiano.
They also own vineyards in Wrattonbully and just added some Port Lincoln vineyards to their portfolio. They currently export wines to Scandinavia, Japan and Korea.
Having attended the SAWAC event at Mt Lofty Ranges Vineyards last week, India is also on Mr Allen's radar.
"From conversations had at the ambassadors club event at Mt Lofty, there is absolutely potential," he said.
"Over the next 12 to 18 months we'll be building an understanding of what the requirements are for that particular market."
Mr Allen said the SAWAC had been a "very efficient" way of building contacts.
"For us in this industry we generally have to jump on a plane and get into those countries and there's a lot of expense that comes with that, so to have everyone flying here and spending some time in the region with us is a really good starting point to get into those emerging markets."
