The Australian wine industry has continued to grow and perform highly in both domestic and international markets, with the latest report from Wine Australia noting the 34 per cent surge in value and 7 per cent surge in volume for Australian wine exports. Food & Drink Business magazine spoke with Château Tanunda managing director, Michelle Geber, about current industry trends and opportunities.
Château Tanunda was established in 1890 and is home to some of the region’s oldest vineyards. In 2025, Château Tanunda is celebrating its 135th anniversary, with the Geber family aiming to continue honouring the winery’s heritage, while boldly embracing its future.
Focusing on wine from the Barossa, Château Tanunda combines traditional methods and modern technology to craft its wines. The company exports to over 30 countries, with its Grand Barossa range leading the charge. Château Tanunda are specialists in Old Vine wines as caretakers of rare Centenarian Vines (100+ years of age) and Ancestor (125+ years of age) which are showcased in the winery’s Old Vine Expressions collection.
The latest export report from Wine Australia noted a surge in value and volume for Australian wine exports. How has that affected Château Tanunda, and what opportunities has that resulted in for the company?
The majority of this increase in value and volume is to do with the return of trade to China, and yes for us here at Château Tanunda we have increased our exports there as well. We’ve been experiencing fantastic growth with our Grand Barossa Shiraz in export markets, but also have double-digit growth here in Australia too.
We’ve received fantastic opportunities in the Chinese retail market, notably Hema (Alibaba brick-and-mortar stores) and we’re excited to see how the growth of this retail chain is going to go. We’re in a great position there as a premium Australian winery presented at a top-quality store.
How is Australian wine performing in European markets, and what are the current trends you’ve noticed?
Overall, we’re seeing an increase in the desirability of white wine. This is a global trend. For us, this trend has been reflected in new listings for Château Tanunda Chardonnays, including our Grand Barossa Chardonnay, in Finland, Belgium, Denmark, and the UK – this is something we will be driving more.
Australian wine has an advantage in its quality, fruit flavour, and also its clarity in labelling. We have strict controls around GIs for quality and the variety is front and centre, in the description on labels which makes them approachable and easy to understand.
Europe represents 49 per cent of Australian wine exports, and our figures here at Château Tanunda are even higher which makes it a key market focus for us. In Europe, it’s important to tell the premium Australian wine story because those markets often purchase commercial wines from our country. We need to elevate our position and approach to the market, just like we’ve done in Asia which has seen great success with premium Australian wines.
The recent US tariffs will present some interesting opportunities for Australian wine as government, retailers, and even consumer sentiment potentially becomes unfavourable to US products. Because Australia and the US share expertise in similar varieties and also the way we communicate and position this in our wine labels, this presents an opportunity for Australian wine to gain more popularity as a new world wine producer, as there will be gaps to fill.
There’s been a recent shift towards focusing on markets in the APAC region, particularly China, as the wine tariffs have been lifted and politicians aim to improve trade relationships in general. Has this affected how Château Tanunda operates, and what markets do you think might be the next major focus for the Australian wine industry?
We are really pleased we are able to export our Château Tanunda wines to China again, already Australian wine exports are at $900 million, close to previous highs of June 2021.
Château Tanunda has been a part of key efforts held by our trade representatives such as events and delegations to the APAC region. This has opened up opportunities for us in emerging markets such as Vietnam, South Korea, and also continued representation in mature markets such as China and Japan.
It’s always helpful when a country has an affiliation with Australia, it’s key to selling our products. The more aware a consumer is of Australia, the more popular our products become. For the APAC region proximity is important, including tourism, our relationship with government, and efforts around education.
We are also seeing interesting emerging markets in India, and possibilities in Brazil.
What are the projects and priorities Château Tanunda is currently working on, based on the position of the Australian and global markets?
Sustainability is a major focus for people around the globe, and retailers are following suit to ensure their consumer values in this area are met and their own responsibility requirements. Château Tanunda recently became a certified member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia (SWA), and we’ve seen particularly in the Scandinavian market there is a lot of interest for SWA-certified wines.
Château Tanunda has historically been successful in exports, however during our 135th anniversary in 2025, we’re turning our eyes back home and focusing on our growth here in Australia. In April, we will debut two new additions to our Old Vine Expressions range: Old Vine Cabernet Shiraz 2023 and Old Vine Shiraz 2023, that will both retail for $50.
These wines invite people to discover what makes Old Vines so remarkable – renowned for their intense concentration, exceptional quality, and profound depth of flavour. Our Old Vine Shiraz will represent the Barossa’s most iconic and internationally acclaimed variety – expressing the true power and character of Old Vine fruit.
And it will be our first ultra-premium Cab Shiraz blend, a blend that Australia is very famous for, showcasing the structure and elegance of Cabernet Sauvignon balanced perfectly with the rich, vibrant fruit character of Shiraz. We’re finding that Cabernet blends are extremely popular in particular in Asian markets such as China, where you find Cabernet outpacing Shiraz in terms of popularity there.
