The Annual Report 2023 from New Zealand Winegrowers covers the past year and says that after three challenging years due to COVID-related uncertainties, the New Zealand grape growers and wineries are looking to the future with renewed confidence.
Wine exports have surged to new record levels, showing a growth of 23% in value to $2.4 billion. Notably, value growth outpaced volume, indicating that consumers are willing to pay premium prices for New Zealand wines. This performance has positioned New Zealand as the world’s sixth-largest exporter of wine by value even though it produces less than 2% of the global supply.
The New Zealand wine industry is highly export-focused, with nearly 90% of sales occurring outside the domestic market. The growth in export value testifies to the strong consumer demand for New Zealand wine, especially Sauvignon Blanc. The report also mentions the positive impact of the NZ/UK Free Trade Agreement but there’s uncertainty about the future due to changes to alcohol taxation. Exports of New Zealand wine to the UK in 2023 amounted to 79.494 million litres, valued at NZ$537.078 million (about £252 million). The UK is currently New Zealand’s second-largest market after the USA.
