Australian wine exporters are facing one of the most difficult global markets in decades.
According to Wine Australia’s latest Export Report, released in July 2026, Australian wine exports fell 7% in value to AUD 2.30 billion and 6% in volume to 598 million litres in the 12 months to June 2026. It is the first time export volumes have fallen below 600 million litres since 2004.
The decline reflects a wider problem: global wine consumption has fallen to its lowest level since 1961. But the numbers also show something important for Australian wineries looking for new distributors.
Demand is not disappearing equally everywhere. It is shifting. While Australia’s largest export markets are struggling, several smaller markets are recording significant growth.
The traditional big three are under pressure
Mainland China remains Australia’s largest wine export market by value, but exports declined 15% to AUD 756 million in the year to June. The initial rush to rebuild inventories following the removal of Chinese tariffs in 2024 has passed, and shipments are increasingly reflecting underlying consumer demand.
The UK tells a similar story. Australian exports fell 3% in value to AUD 340 million, while volume dropped 6% to 192 million litres — the lowest level in 25 years.
The United States recorded an even sharper decline, with Australian wine export value falling 27% to AUD 229 million and volume declining 15%.
For Australian wineries, this makes diversification increasingly important. The objective should not necessarily be to abandon large established markets, but to avoid depending on them for future growth.
So where are the opportunities?
1. Canada: strong short-term momentum
Canada has been one of the clearest growth markets for Australian wine.
Exports increased 20% in value to AUD 188 million and 13% in volume to 69 million litres in the year to June 2026. Australian producers have benefited partly from reduced availability of American wines following Canada-US trade disputes.
That creates an immediate opportunity for wineries that can find distributors looking to replace or expand parts of their portfolios.
However, Wine Australia also notes that growth began to moderate later in the year. Producers should therefore view Canada as an attractive opportunity rather than assume the current growth rate will continue indefinitely.
The important question is not simply “Should we export to Canada?” but which Canadian importers currently have a portfolio, price positioning and distribution network suitable for the winery.
2. Singapore: a valuable gateway into Asia
Singapore has become Australia’s largest Asian wine market outside mainland China, with export value increasing 11% to AUD 125 million.
Its importance extends beyond domestic consumption. Singapore is also an established regional trading and distribution hub, making it particularly interesting for premium wineries building a broader Southeast Asian strategy.
For producers, however, this also means importer selection matters. A specialist premium importer serving hotels and restaurants has a very different value from a distributor focused primarily on mass retail.
Finding companies whose existing portfolio resembles your positioning can make prospecting considerably more efficient.
3. Thailand: one of the standout growth markets
Thailand produced one of the most striking numbers in the latest export data.
Australian wine exports to the country reached record levels, with value increasing 54%, supported in particular by demand for premium wine.
More broadly, Australian exports to Southeast Asia increased 6% in volume to 24 million litres, with Thailand and Singapore leading that growth.
Thailand is still much smaller than markets such as the UK or China, but that is precisely why it deserves attention from export teams.
Emerging markets do not need to replace a winery’s largest destination overnight. Adding several carefully selected markets can gradually reduce reliance on one or two major export partners.
4. Japan and South Korea: mature markets still showing opportunities
Not all Asian opportunities come from emerging markets.
Wine Australia reported growth in Australian exports to Japan and South Korea, as well as Taiwan, while shipments also increased to Malaysia and Indonesia.
Earlier 2026 data showed Australian export value to Japan growing 10% and South Korea 6%. Across Asia excluding mainland China and Hong Kong, export value was up 19% in the 12 months to March.
For wineries that do not want to rely entirely on fast-growing but less developed wine markets, Japan and South Korea may therefore deserve another look.
Both already have established importer networks, specialised wine retailers, sommeliers and sophisticated consumers. That creates opportunities not only for large-volume Australian brands but also for wineries with a clearly defined regional, varietal or premium positioning.
5. Malaysia, Taiwan and Indonesia: smaller markets worth researching
Wine Australia also identified Malaysia, Taiwan and Indonesia among Asian destinations recording stronger Australian wine exports.
These markets will not suit every producer. But this is exactly why international expansion should start with research rather than assumptions.
A winery may discover that there are only a limited number of realistic importers for its products in a particular country. That is not necessarily a disadvantage. A qualified list of 30 companies that actually import wines in your category can be considerably more useful than hundreds of generic beverage businesses.
Premium wine is proving more resilient
There is another important signal in the latest numbers.
Weakness in Australian exports has been concentrated primarily in lower- and mid-priced wines. Premium exports have performed better, with wines in the AUD 50–99.99 per litre export-value segment increasing 25%.
Even in the declining UK market, premium Australian wines have shown greater resilience.
This suggests that for some wineries, the solution may not simply be finding a new country. It may also involve finding different types of importers: specialist wine importers, premium distributors, fine-wine retailers or companies supplying restaurants and hospitality.
Market selection is only the first step
The latest figures make the case for diversification clear. Canada, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, South Korea and other Asian markets are all showing opportunities while Australia’s traditional export destinations face increasing pressure.
But identifying a promising country is relatively easy.
The difficult part comes next:
Who actually imports wines like yours? Who is the decision-maker? Which companies already work with similar regions, grapes, styles or price points? And how do you contact them?
This is where targeted importer research becomes increasingly important.
BestWineImporters provides access to 35,000+ verified wine importers, distributors and retailers across 168 countries, including company profiles and direct contacts for buyers and other decision-makers. Producers can search by country, products, company characteristics and other criteria instead of researching every potential partner individually.
Instead of asking AI for a few company names, checking every importer manually and then searching the web for the right contact person, an export team can use the database to build a qualified prospect list and move directly to outreach.
The current Australian export numbers may look challenging, but they also deliver a useful message: growth opportunities still exist — they are simply becoming more fragmented.
For wineries, success in this environment is likely to depend less on finding one big market and more on identifying the right combination of markets, importers and buyers for their particular wines.