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Aussie wine elbows French aside in U.S
As vintners Down Under might tell their French rivals — vive la difference, mate. In a battle pitting their upstart Yellow Tail brand against vintage Bordeaux, Australian wine makers are elbowing past the French as
dominant exporters to a friendly U.S. market. Analysts attribute that reversal of fortune to the U.S. consumer's growing view of Australian wines as unpretentious and affordable. They are, in short, very un-French.
The trend has been helped by patriotic Americans showing appreciation for Australia for backing the invasion of Iraq, while shying away from products from nations like France, which opposed the war. In terms of volume, Australia already had bounced France from second place among foreign wine suppliers to the U.S. market in the first quarter of 2003. Now Australian vintners are also on track over the next year or so to make more money from U.S. sales than their often haughty and higher-priced French rivals, trailing only California wines in popularity, said Rich Cartiere, publisher of the Wine Market Report.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2003-11-05 |
