Speeches

Tuesday, 29 October 2024

Reception for the members of the World Wine Trade Group (WWTG)


Rod and I warmly welcome you all to Government House.

You have come here from across the globe – united by your devotion to something that has brought people together for thousands of years.

Wine is a big part of South Australia’s history.

I am proud to be wearing this evening a brooch crafted in the 1860s in Adelaide by Charles Firnhaber, a local jeweller of German origin.

It is made of Malachite from Burra, encircled by a grapevine made from Barossa Valley gold.

I acknowledge the generosity of the South Australian Museum in recognising the importance of this evening’s gathering and agreeing to lend me this beautiful and valuable item from the museum’s collection.

As with many South Australians, wine is part of my own story. While at University in the early 1980s, I worked on weekends in a Barossa Valley winery and considered undertaking a second degree in wine-making before accepting an offer to join the Graduate program with the Department of Foreign Affairs.

While the focus of my professional life shifted, my love of wine has never dimmed.

And nor has my appreciation for those whose work contributes to its creation and distribution.

Your efforts – and those of the World Wine Trade Group – foster international commerce that benefits producers, consumers, national economies, and states like South Australia.

Like many parts of our nation, South Australia is blessed with exceptional wine producing regions and talented wine industry professionals.

They produce 80 per cent of Australia’s premium wine, and their exports are valued at well over a billion dollars per annum.

When most people enjoy a glass of wine, they are largely unaware of its various elements and the complexity of its creation.

The same is true of your work.

For more than a quarter of a century, your Group has done so much behind the scenes to support the wine industry and international trade.

You are a unifying force – bringing together wine-making industries and governments across the world. No easy feat.

You have focussed on sharing information, removing trade barriers, and promoting discussions about regulatory issues, labelling, and wine-making practices.

Your Group truly highlights the value of collaboration, and the critical role of government and industry partnerships.

Put simply, that glass of wine I mentioned is greater than the sum of its parts. So too is the collaborative work done by you and your Group.

Each of you has contributed to the success of the W-W-T-G.

But I take this opportunity to recognise two people in particular who will soon step down from this Group.

Steve Guy and Mari Kirrane are government representatives from Australia and the United States, and have made long-standing and significant contributions to this Group. Thank you for your efforts over many years.

Wine changes over time and so too does the wine industry.

In your discussions I know you will consider the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

Technology, for example, is altering the way wine is produced, marketed and sold.

It’s changing the way consumers discover wines – and how they purchase and review them.

Climate change is another dynamic factor – and one that can alter grape production calendars and the types of grapes grown in particular regions – as well as the members of your Group.

I’ve seen this firsthand when talking to winemakers in McLaren Vale, south of Adelaide.

In South Australia, and around the world, the wine industry is very dynamic and there are exciting times ahead as well as some challenges.

Thank you, again, for the guidance your Group provides to that global industry.

I wish you well with your discussions in the days ahead, and with your continuing efforts to support the creation and sale of wine around the world.

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