Jack Cumming from Sorby Adams and HaNoi sommelier Tran Quoc Thanh. Image courtesy Australian-Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce (SA) Incorporated
Sales of Australian wine in Vietnam were AU$11.5 million last year and will continue to grow, said the Australian Ambassador to Vietnam, Andrew Goledzinowski.
Speaking recently at a gala dinner hosted in HaNoi for South Australia Wine Connect 2024, Goledzinowski said bilateral relations between the two countries had been substantially upgraded and were now elevated to the highest levels.
“The upgraded relationships provide Australian wine exporters with additional opportunities to build on the reputation Vietnamese people have for Australian goods, for their quality and trust,” he said.
According to Inkwood Research, the Vietnam wine market was valued at US$347.10 million in 2022 and is expected to reach US$692.27 million by 2030. Volume is expected to reach 24.15 million litres by 2030.
Nguyen Ba Hai, the vice director of investment promotion, Centre for Industry and Trade, Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, said demand for Australian wine in Vietnam was growing in line with higher levels of discretionary incomes.
“Vietnam is proving to be one of the world’s fastest growing countries,” he said. “Total retail sales of goods and services in 2022 increased by nearly 20% compared to the same period last year, reaching approximately US$239 billion.”
The program for SA Wine Connect 2024 hosted in HoChiMinh City and HaNoi included networking and buyer visit initiatives as well as master class wine tasting events that were oversubscribed.
“We had close to 70 wholesalers and retailers at each of the Master Classes in Ho Chi Minh City and nearly 300 at the tastings with similar numbers in Hanoi,” said David Dean, president of the Australian-Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce (SA) – AVCC.
Participating wineries include Turkey Flat, First Drop and Sorby Adams from the Barossa; the Coonawarra is represented by Ottelia Innes, HighBank, Armstrong and Metala Wines at Langhorne Creek; Paracombe and in the Adelaide Hills; Mitolo in McLaren Vale; Betty’s Choice, and Maison Blue wines.
Winemaker, John Innes from Ottelia wines said he thought the program was educational and geared to the right demographic.
“The initiative was well supported by wholesalers and retailers,” he said. “However, we go forward cautiously, and we don’t expect the orders to come immediately.”
Anna Nguyen from Must See in Vietnam agreed that the wine masterclasses were beneficial to her and those of Vietnamese drinkers of a similar demographic.
“These wine educational programs are invaluable for the 25-40 years [old] group who are becoming more sophisticated and seeking more of the finer things in life like good wine,” she said.
Vietnam-born Betty Dang, vice president of AVCC, together with her business partner, Tony Bui and their Hanoi-based team were key drivers of the success of South Australia Wine Connect 2024.
“Our master classes and related initiatives generated major positive social media ‘buzz’ among the wine trade, which is a great sign that we are delivering on what the market wants,” she said.
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