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Austrian Wine records ‘significant’ UK sales increase

As part of the campaign, more than 50 UK wine merchants, and 100 from the US, advertised their Austrian wine portfolios throughout February under the ‘It’s Austrian Wine Time’ slogan.  

More than 80 online wine-tasting sessions took place during the campaign, with hundreds of wine enthusiasts introduced to Austrian wines, according to the AWMB, who launched the push to raise awareness of the country’s unique wines.

The response to the campaign had been “unanimously positive”, with some reporting double, or even triple-digit growth in sales volume, said the AWMB.

Better still, it added, the initiative had meant that many customers had discovered multiple new facets of Austrian wine, including that Austrian winegrowers also make “some excellent” red wines.

“The purpose of ‘It’s Austrian Wine Time’ was to increase demand for Austria’s outstanding wines in our key export markets of the UK and the USA, as well as getting our winegrowers onto new dealer listings. Judging by the feedback from the wine merchants, the campaign has been a great success,” said Chris Yorke, CEO of the AWMB.

The retailers with the best concepts in each country are being rewarded with a trip to Austria, with the three UK winners – Lola Provisions in Leamington Spa, Tring’s Urban Craft Wines and Cornelius Beer & Wine in Edinburgh – having won a trip to visit Austria’s winegrowing regions in September this year. 

The winning US retailers – Washington DC-based Cork and Fork, Waterford Wine & Spirits in Wisconsin and The Raleigh Wine Shop in North Carolina – have been invited to Austria’s wine fair, VieVinum 2022. 

The uplift in UK sales follows the AWMB recording a 7.2% drop in volume and 5.2% in value sales to €4.8m in the UK  last year, as reported by Harpers. 

• UK
• exports
• campaign
• Austria
• Austrian Wine
• Chris Yorke
• uk sales
• awmb
• Austrian Wine Marketing Board