Why funky young wines are a winner for Aussie producers looking for fresh export markets

Younger consumers are increasingly turning away from traditional, full-bodied mainstream wines in favour of natural varieties with little to no additives.

These type of easy-drinking wines, often distinctive for their cloudiness and bright colour, are also seen by overseas buyers as a better reflection of Australia’s sun-soaked lifestyle than their more traditional counterparts.

Andrew Sheddon, who manages the fine wine section for major alcohol retailer Endeavour Group, says the once limited category has now become quite established and wide-ranging.

“Ten years ago you would never have seen the variety and the breadth of organic and natural wines that we have in stores today,” he said.

“The natural wine movement has gained real traction with younger consumers, particularly young millennials.”

So it was no surprise that when a delegation from the government-run monopoly liquor board of Quebec – Canada’s second most populated province – visited Australia they had their eye on premium natural wines.

Usually produced by small-scale independent producers, natural wines are typically made using alternative varietals of grapes hand-picked from sustainable, biodynamic or organic vineyards.

The wines are also referred to as Lo-Fi or minimal intervention because little to no yeast, additives and sulphites are added during the fermentation process.

Instead, they are often left to ferment with their skins, which gives them a slightly chewy texture, and can bring out amber colours. 

Last year, Canada’s Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ), which sells more than $1.73 billion worth of products annually, had a 15 per cent growth in sales of natural and organic wines.

Account manager Marc-Olivier Rail said the board was interested in products that highlighted the diversity and innovation of the Australian wine industry.

“We got kind of tired of the classic, very powerful, bold wine with deep fruit,” he said.

“We’re looking for something new, fresher and easy to drink.”

According to Wine Australia, commercially produced wines that are less than $10 a bottle make up 90 per cent of exports, but have been the hardest hit by declining sales.

Mr Rail said younger consumers are increasingly rejecting cheap commercial wine.

“I think those producers that we met with will definitely change the image of what Australian wine is back in Quebec,” he said.

Bottling the Australian lifestyle 

Between mouthfuls of Murray cod, the SAQ delegates sampled cloudy, colourful natural wines from South Australia’s largest wine region, the Riverland, at a sun-soaked long lunch.

The visit, supported by Wine Australia and Riverland Wine, also included visits to the Barossa, Yarra Valley, Tasmania and the Hunter Valley.

Unico Zelo co-founder Brendan Carter, who buys grapes from the Riverland and Clare Valley, said it was the perfect opportunity to showcase his products.

“They’re interested in the wines that represent [Australian] culture, not wines that we think they [Quebecois] want to drink,” he said. 

“Internationally, Australian wine is known for these big rich, heavy extracted reds and oaky whites but we don’t really consumer a lot of these in Australia.”

For Mr Carter, making natural wines is a way to honour the ancient landscape, while farming more sustainably. 

“To have wine from the oldest terroir known to man that grapes to grow in, that is wild and incredible,” he said.

“This is one of the hottest fringes of winemaking in the world, where we can see the impacts of climate change and see these [alternative] varieties outperform conventional varieties like shiraz, cabernet and chardonnay.”

Eric Semmler, from 919 Wines in the Riverland town of Berri, said he is hopeful that the interest in his wines, like the Portuguese-Spanish blend of Touriga Nacional tempranillo, would translate to sales.

“We don’t [sell] into Canada [yet] but we have got an export stream into Finland and also Sweden,” he said. 

Alternative varieties and natural wines also featured heavily at tastings held by Wine Australia and New Zealand Winegrowers in Denmark and Sweden, for the first time since the pandemic. 

Wine Australia’s general manager of marketing, Paul Turale, said the Nordic countries are a key market.

“We had more than 120 wineries represented in Copenhagen and Stockholm, ranging from the more recognisable names with new releases and latest vintages,” he said.

“[The wines] showcased new wave styles and alternative varieties such as fiano, albariño, tempranillo and sangiovese.”