Grapegrowing and viticulture
The journey starts in vineyards across Australia’s wine regions.
Grapegrowers make decisions about varieties and rootstocks, vineyard management, soil and water, pests and diseases, biosecurity, climate conditions, grape quality and harvest.
Research, technology and practical experience continue to change how vineyards operate, helping growers test different approaches and respond to production, environmental and business challenges.
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Making wine
After harvest, winemakers apply technical knowledge, experience and judgement to turn grapes into wine.
Wine production can involve crushing, fermentation, maturation, blending, bottling and other processes that influence the quality and style of the finished wine.
Research and innovation also play an important role here. New knowledge, winemaking techniques, equipment, data and technology can help businesses test different approaches, improve processes and respond to changing production and market needs. Wine businesses also need to understand the regulatory requirements that apply to the production, description and labelling of Australian wine.
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Skills, experience and innovation
Across grape growing and winemaking, innovation depends on more than developing new research or technology. Grapegrowers and winemakers ultimately determine whether a new variety, practice, technology or piece of research is useful in their vineyard, winery or business.
The skills and experience of grapegrowers and winemakers help turn new knowledge into practical outcomes through testing ideas, trialling practices and technologies, demonstrations and collaboration with researchers, technical specialists and technology providers, and adapting them to different varieties, climates, regions and businesses.
Innovation in the grape and wine sector can include:
- new grapevine varieties, clones and rootstocks
- climate adaptation and managing extreme weather
- improved pest and disease management
- agtech and vineyard automation
- digital technology, data and artificial intelligence
- soil, water and vineyard management
- more sustainable vineyard and winery practices.
Innovation does not always mean introducing completely new technology. It can mean finding a better way to manage water, monitor vine health, assess fruit, control disease, run winery processes or use information to make decisions.
Trials, demonstrations and knowledge sharing help test ideas in real-world conditions. Ultimately, practical experience helps determine what works and how new knowledge can contribute to productivity, quality, risk management and more resilient businesses.
Packaging and distribution
Once wine is ready for market, it may move through bottling and packaging, storage, transport, logistics and distribution.
How wine moves through the supply chain varies between businesses. Some manage these activities themselves, while others use specialist providers for services such as bottling, packaging, warehousing, logistics and distribution.
Packaging is also where information about a wine meets the customer. Wine descriptions, labels and claims need to meet relevant requirements and accurately represent the wine being sold.
Wine may then be sold directly or move through wholesale, distribution, retail, hospitality and export channels.
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Routes to market
Australian wine businesses operate across domestic and international markets using different sales and distribution models. There is no single pathway from winery to customer.
Australian wine businesses use a mix of channels depending on their products, customers and markets. These can include:
- cellar door and direct-to-consumer sales
- wine tourism and experiences
- retail and online sales
- restaurants, bars and other hospitality venues
- wholesale and distribution
- international export markets.
Wine may travel directly from a producer to a customer or through importers, distributors, retailers, hospitality businesses and other trade channels before it is purchased or consumed.
Market and consumer insights can help businesses understand changing demand and customer preferences, while relationships with the wine trade can help connect Australian wine with customers in different markets.
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Learn more about exporting wine
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Reaching international markets
Around 60 per cent of Australian wine is sold in international markets around the world. For exporters, reaching a customer in another country also involves navigating market access and regulatory requirements.
Australian wine exporters need to meet Australian export requirements and the requirements that apply in destination markets. These can vary between markets and change over time.
Regulatory systems and market access arrangements help support the movement of Australian wine into international markets while protecting product integrity and market confidence.
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Customers and consumers
At the end of the value chain are the people and businesses that buy, range, recommend and consume Australian wine.
These can include importers, distributors, retailers, hospitality businesses and other trade customers, as well as people purchasing wine directly through retail, online, cellar doors and other direct channels.
Changing customer and consumer preferences can influence decisions throughout the value chain, from what grapes are planted and wines produced to how they are packaged, positioned and brought to market.
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