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China’s Thirst for Australian Wine Is in Overdrive

Australian wine exports to China may be surging, but the U.S. is losing its taste.

China’s Thirst for Australian Wine Is in Overdrive
Barrels line the walls of a wine cave at a winery. (Photographer: Kim White/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- Australian wine exports to China may be surging, but the U.S. is losing its taste.

Among Australia’s five biggest wine-export markets by value, only the U.S. shrank in the past 12 months, falling 8 percent, Wine Australia said Tuesday. Americans are upgrading to premium labels, away from Australia’s traditional U.S. base of lower-end wines, the group said.

The total value of Australian overseas wine sales jumped 20 percent to A$2.76 billion ($2 billion), the steepest climb in 15 years, led by a 55 percent jump in exports to China. Wine costing between A$50 and A$100 a liter delivered the fastest growth.

China’s Thirst for Australian Wine Is in Overdrive

To contact the reporter on this story: Angus Whitley in Sydney at awhitley1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Edward Johnson at ejohnson28@bloomberg.net

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