Influential wine importers pour into SA

The Malinauskas Labor Government is helping get more South Australian wine on the shelves and menus in China and Hong Kong, hosting a group of major importers in South Australia.

The 11 influential importers and buyers from China and Hong Kong last week visited South Australia to experience the state’s world-class wines first-hand and to agree to new export deals.

The four-day program, hosted by renowned wine experts Tony Love and Kate Spain, saw the diverse group of wine buyers take part in an immersive experience of South Australia’s world-class wine, food and tourism offerings, including visits to the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra.

Minister for State Development Chris Picton welcomed the visiting importers at an event held at the National Wine Centre in Adelaide which provided wineries from other regions including the Adelaide Hills, Clare Valley, Langhorne Creek and the Riverland the opportunity to meet with the delegation and showcase their region’s wines.

During the visit, one of the importers also signed a new distribution agreement with Mirus Vineyards, a Barossa winery co-located with Wonderground Gallery, operating as both a dedicated art gallery and cellar door.

The visit aimed to build direct business connections between producers and importers through business matching opportunities, as well as supporting brands already in China to engage buyers looking to expand their portfolios in market.

The visit is part of continued re-engagement with China by the South Australian Government through the $3.9 million Global Wine Growth Program, launched by the Malinauskas Government last year.

The Global Wine Growth Program is providing sustained support to local wine exporters as ongoing international trade challenges and a decline in wine consumption continue to impact the global wine industry.

It expands on the substantial success of the $1.85 million Wine Exporters China Re-engagement Support Program announced in March 2024, which saw South Australia recover 90 per cent of its all-time peak wine exports to China in just one year, outperforming other states.

In the year to February 2026, South Australia exported $612.7 million of wine to China, making up more than 68 per cent of all of Australia’s wine exports to China.