Following a long period of test shipments and market analysis, iDealwine has recently announced that we now ship to Australia! This is an exciting opportunity for both iDealwine and the massive community of wine enthusiasts in the Land Down Under. In the words of our co-founder Lionel, “as a well-regarded producer of fine wine themselves, Australia is filled with serious enthusiasts who will quickly fall in love with our selection.” Keep reading below to find out more about our motivations to enter this new market and what Australian customers can expect going forward.
World-class producers and the passionate wine enthusiasts to match
The history of Australian winemaking is older than the very country that bears its name. In 1788, the very first vine cuttings arrived via the famous “First Fleet” voyage to the penal colony of New South Wales. Thanks in part to the wine-friendly Mediterranean climate meandering along much of its southern shores, the persistent efforts of Australia’s first winemakers quickly paid off. Though the original cuttings didn’t work out, the first commercially viable wines were produced just a few decades later in 1820. Some of the earliest Australian producers, such as Penfold’s and Tyrell’s Wines, are now award-winning household names, with a bottle of the latter having sold for over €900 in a recent iDealwine auction.
Outside of Europe, Australians consume more wine per-capita than anyone else in the world, although 80% of that consumption is currently domestic wine. I guess when your compatriots become world-renowned wine producers, you just can’t help standing in line to support them! With that said, France is still the second most popular country of origin for imported wine, behind neighbouring New Zealand. From our market analysis, we have also found out that Australians are partial to the wines of Champagne and Burgundy – and we can’t blame them for that!
Demand for wine in Australia is also unique, as it is particularly strong amongst the younger population. According to wineintelligence.com, between 2018 and 2021 the 35-44 age group increased their share of total Australian wine consumption by seven percentage points (now representing 23%). Additionally, while e-commerce still represents a relatively small portion of the Australian alcohol landscape, wine dominates the market share in this subsegment (already reaching 52% in 2018).
The Australian wine market is therefore robust, young, and dynamic. Many of the country’s wine enthusiasts possess a great deal of knowledge, and these enthusiasts are undoubtably seeking a diverse selection for their cellars. Thankfully, iDealwine’s foremost mission is to expand access to great wines all around the world, and we’re so excited to continue this mission in Australia.
What Australian customers can expect on iDealwine
Australian customers will have full access to the massive selection of professionally evaluated wines offered on our website throughout the year. New auctions will appear on a near-weekly basis, and our fixed-price selection is continually expanding as well. Visitors to our website can expect to regularly come across iconic producers like Petrus, Coche Dury, Salon, Jacques Selosse, and many, many more.
To begin taking advantage, Australian customers will simply need to create an account and add a payment method. All prices are based on Euros and will exclude French VAT when shipping to Australia. The entire inventory is available to ship to Australia without exception, as it is kept in a centralised location at our professional facilities in France.
Delivery to Australia will cost €120 per 12 bottles. The cost is fixed, meaning it will not change for any combination of 2 to 12 bottles. That is why we recommend that customers send as close to 12 bottles as possible so that they get the most out of the shipping fee. To make this easier, we offer excellent storage services and the ability to combine separate orders into one. Storage is free for the first 30 days, after which there is a small daily rate of €0.06 per bottle. Once customers have finalised their order, delivery to Australia should take about 10 business days. One final thing to mention, Australian customers should note that local taxes and duties are payable to our shipping partner upon arrival.
We hope our new Australian customers find what they are looking for on iDealwine. For those of you who don’t live in the Land Down Under, feel free to check out our guide to Australian wines to discover more about what the locals drink!
