Bottled and bulk wine exports from Australia
Wine Exporting From Australia
Australia is quite a large producer of wine. Whilst a large proportion of wine production is used locally, the domestic market can only absorb so much. Wine exporting is the typical destination for the remainder. 
With regard to exported wine, there are two major categories – bottled wine shipping and bulk wine shipping.
Choices for bulk wine shipping
Typically, bulk wine is exported either in food-grade ISO tanks or bulk in bladders in 20ft General Purpose (GP) containers. The preferred option usually depends on the destination and distance.
Bladders in 20′ GP containers are cheaper than ISO tanks, however, they are less robust than ISO tanks. Bladders do tend to sweat and leakage can occur. They are therefore not usually recommended or used for long haul destinations such as Europe.
Shorter haul locations are more suitable for wine stored in bladders. The shorter journeys will generally result in less wastage and be more cost-effective overall.
ISO tanks have a considerably greater level of protection. They are a safer way to bulk ship wine, or any liquids for that matter. The downside of ISO tanks are the additional cost. This needs to be balanced against the potential for leakage and waste.
Bottled wine shipping options
The shipping of bottled wine is less common. Australian wine is more often exported in bulk and then bottled at the destination for local consumption. It is also frequently blended with wine produced in the country of destination and is then bottled and sold as that country’s wine. This typically happens with countries that might impose a high import tax or restrictions on bottled wine.
Interestingly enough, this used to be a common situation with exporting to New Zealand. A small side business has grown for the bottling of imported wine. This is even now happening in reverse when importing New Zealand wine into Australia.
When shipping bottled wine, it is vital to get advice on correct packing and freight forwarding to avoid breakage and loss.
Long-term prospects for shipping wine
Due to the fact that wine is grown and produced in more and more countries, wine exporting is not likely to show any sustained growth. Despite this, there will always be a certain level of market.
If you have any requirements for bulk wine shipping or bottled wine exporting or importing, please come and speak with us. We can help get your product to your overseas consumers.
