Jack's Article: Can Australian Wine Become A Luxury In Asia?

Hardys Wines hopes to be Australia’s first luxury wine brand in Asia

I had barely got off the plane in Hong Kong when an invitation came through to a Hardys Wines media lunch celebrating the launch of their premium HRB line in Asia’s wine capital. Having spent the last two weeks on the wine trail in Australia, where my father James also judged at the Barossa Wine Show, I thought it might be interesting to see what the Aussies were up to back home.

My most recent trip to Oz was actually my first. It was a great opportunity to taste wines I wasn’t familiar with, see some Australian icons (including the necessary kangaroo), and even shoot a bow and arrow for the first time with Ian Hongell from Peter Lehmann Wines!

I have to say, growing up in England near a Tesco (the largest supermarket in the UK and the biggest retailer of wine in the world), I always found it difficult to think beyond cheap, mass-market Australian wines. As you probably know, this perception among consumers has been a huge problem for many in the Australian wine industry, and only too often we heard winemakers still lamenting their difficulties.

But as James continues to say, as he shares his tasting notes and scores with you this October, Australia is producing some fabulous, top quality wines! And it didn’t take long before I was digging everything the country has to offer myself from Eden Valley Rieslings to Hunter Valley sémillons to shiraz from McLaren Vale.

This is exactly the impression that Hardys is hoping to achieve in Asia with the release of their premium range, HRB, which stands for Heritage Reserve Bin. From the 50s to 80s these were Hardys’ best, and a unique number was assigned to each wine every vintage. The tradition was revived in 2008, and with the introduction of three HRB labels (Cab Sav, Shiraz and Chardonnay) this year in Hong Kong, the idea is to create Australia’s first real luxury wine brand in Asia.

It’s certainly quite an ambition for Accolade Wines, a now internationally vast wine and spirits business that originally grew out of Hardys Wines, but today also includes almost fifty other brands including Echo Falls and Stowells. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, as of 2013 Hardys is the UK’s best-selling wine brand, and most of their wines sell for as little as $5.

Rebecca Meisner, General Manager of Sales & Marketing at Accolade Wines in Asia

Nevertheless, I really liked the three wines at the lunch – particularly the Cabernet Sauvignon. “Hardys is a brand that offers a diverse portfolio of exceptional quality wines across styles, regions and prices. From everyday, affordable table wines, to iconic luxury wines perfect for special occasions,” explains Rachel Meisner, General Manager of Sales & Marketing at Accolade Wines in Asia.

But is quality in itself enough? Pricing certainly comes into play – so many highlife items in Asia are really an expression of wealth and good “face”. The HRB Hardys range is retailing here at $HK298 for the Chardonnay and HK$368 for the Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. The age-old debate on corks vs. screwcaps might also be relevant (no sign of Bordeaux and Burgundy heading in that direction so far!).

Yet perhaps the best way to create a luxury brand is simply by reaching lots of luxury consumers and letting superior quality speak for itself. “It’s not a good idea to invest too much money in advertising in Asia,” says Elaine Yeoh, who for years was head of marketing at The Body Shop for Asia and who sat next to me at the Hardys lunch. “The Asian psyche is such that if you give them enough of something they like, they’ll start buying it and be prepared to spend as much money as necessary.” With the quality we’re seeing in top-of-the-line Australian wines now, it’s hard to see how anyone couldn’t enjoy them! 

Ultimately, this all means more consumer tastings and more visits to Australia’s top wine regions, which isn’t too much to ask given the comparatively small distance between the two continents. The Winemaker’s Federation of Australia may not be far wrong in their prediction that China and Hong Kong will overtake the US & UK in value of Australian wine sold (but crucially not volume) by 2017.

Jack Suckling is Web Editor at JamesSuckling.com