Watkins make a splash selling 15,000 bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon in one day in the United States

Ben, Ros, Sam, Jo and David Watkins. Image Watkins Wine

South Australian family-owned winery Watkins has made some noise with their recent entry into the United States, selling 15,000 bottles in one day of their Watkins 2016 Cellar Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. An impressive feat in an export market that declined by three per cent in 2022 for Australian wines.

Australian wine exports to the US have faced a number of challenges in recent years, including a decline in wine consumption, strong competition in the alcoholic beverage industry and complex regulatory systems for distribution.

Despite these challenges, Watkins have been able to make significant inroads in the market over the past year.

Export, sales and marketing director, Jo Watkins spent considerable time in the United States last year developing and strengthening relationships. This hard work paid off, resulting in the sale of two 40-foot containers of red wine, in the last quarter of 2022.

“The Watkins siblings all have strong ties in the United States, given myself and my brothers Sam and Ben have all lived in the US before settling back in Adelaide. We are thrilled to share our wines, which draw on 25 years of family history and experience in viticulture and winemaking, with our friends in the US” said Watkins.

Watkins’s success in the US has been largely drawn from their premium, modern style wines and the awards bestowed on them from publications and reviewers such as James Suckling and Wine Enthusiast magazine.

“We aren’t the only Australian wine brand accumulating accolades internationally. It is encouraging to see many great Australian wines gathering outstanding ratings of 90 points or higher, which in turn will strengthen the demand for Australian wine in the US across the board,” Watkins continued.

Looking to the future, Watkins said she was excited about the potential for further growth in the US wine market, heading back to the US in April 2023 to meet with new buyers and share more of the Watkins story.