A new study by restaurant chain Italian Street Kitchen has revealed which countries love Australian wines the most, plus the brand they can’t get enough of.
Italian Street Kitchen analysed export data to identify the biggest consumers of Australian wines globally. This data was then offset with each nation’s legal-age population census to pinpoint the consumption rate per person, per year. Finally, Google Search volume data indicated which wines consumers are seeking to purchase the most of … and the results are in.
The study reveals New Zealand is the top Aussie wine-loving nation, with an annual consumption rate of 9.38 bottles per legal drinking age person on average, meaning for most months of the year a legal-age Kiwi drinks a whole bottle of Australian wine. Proximity may be working in New Zealand’s favour, especially with the two nations trading under the ANZCERTA trade agreement.
The Kiwi wine of choice is Penfolds. The other favourite Australian wines in order of popularity are Jacobs Creek, 19 Crimes, Bay of Fires and, in fifth place, Hardys.
Aligned with Penfolds being their favourite, the United Kingdom comes in second place with an annual wine consumption rate of 5.33 bottles of Aussie export per year, per person; an interestingly high score considering the population is nearing 70 million and situated on the other side of the planet. The Brits are clearly working very hard to keep their spot on the leaderboard (and cannot get enough of Australian wine).
The other wines of choice in the UK, in order of descending popularity points, are: 19 Crimes, Bay of Fires, Yellow Tail, Hardys and Saltram.
Denmark is another chief Australian wine-loving nation, ranking slightly behind the United Kingdom with an Aussie export consumption rate of 5.02 bottles per person each year, with the affordable Yellow Tail brand proving to be Denmark’s wine of choice. Other notable brands doing the rounds in Denmark are: Hardys, Penfolds, Giant Steps, Nepenthe and Beringer.
The top 10
- New Zealand: Penfolds
- UK: Penfolds
- Denmark: YellowTail
- Canada: St Huberts
- Singapore: Penfolds
- Hong Kong: Penfolds
- Belgium: St Huberts
- Finland: 19 Crimes
- Sweden: Hardys
- United States: Hardys
How to pair Aussie wines with food
Group Head Chef at Italian Street Kitchen, Giulio Marchese, has also revealed top tips on pairing flavours.
“When you cook with love, the wine must sing with the food! It’s not just about matching, it’s about creating harmony like a perfect duet between plate and glass,” he said.
“Whether it’s red or white depends on the dish! For tomato-based sauces, I say go red, think Sangiovese or Montepulciano. But if you’re tucking into our burrata or seafood pizza, a crisp white like Vermentino will make your tastebuds do a little tarantella!”
“If you’re having something rich like our beef ragu, go for a dry red; something bold like a Shiraz to cut through the richness. But if it’s seafood or a creamy risotto, a fruity white like Pinot Grigio is perfetto. It’s all about balance.”
As for his personal favourite wines, Marchese (above) said: “When I’m choosing wines for the table, I will usually go Italian first, but I go local where I can and Im in Australia and so I do really think Australians are great at wine!”
“ For a sparkling start, I love the Cavedon ‘Adelia’ Prosecco from King Valley as its fresh, lively, and made with care.
“With seafood or lighter dishes, I love the Chalmers Vermentino from Heathcote. It brings a beautiful freshness with citrus and herbal notes that really make the flavours pop. It’s crisp, clean, and very versatile.”
“For something deeper, I go for the Amadio Sagrantino from Adelaide Hills. This one’s got serious character; it’s bold, structured, and full of depth. It’s a beautiful match with our wood-fired pizza or a slow-cooked ragu. An Aussie wine with true Italian soul, I say.”
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