Australian Grape & Wine (AGW) has welcomed the announcement of the passing of the Wine Australia Amendment (Label Directory) Bill 2019 by David Littleproud, the Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management.

The amendment will allow for the establishment of a Wine Export Label Directory which will provide a key step in strengthening protection for Australian wine labels against fraudulent activity.

Tony Battaglene, AGW chief executive said, “The integrity of Australia’s wine is a key part of our brand proposition”.

“We worked closely with the government to develop this directory in order to further strengthen our wine export regulatory system, to prevent the export of copycat labelled wines.

“A strong regulatory system underpins the consumer trust in the safety and integrity of our wine. We know that increasingly, unscrupulous operators seek to profit from imitating well-known brands around the world, and the directory extends our ability to combat this.

“As Australia seeks to produce ever higher quality wine and diversify our export markets, this will provide trust and add value.

“We thank all sides of politics who supported this Bill and recognise the faith they have in helping a strong grape and wine sector deliver jobs, growth and economic prosperity to Australia.”

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