Winemakers eye oriental markets

Young winemaker Matt Eastwell will be one of five Great Southern wine producers embarking on a mission to establish premium Great Southern wines in the Chinese marketplace when they start a promotional tour of China on Saturday.

Picture by Laurie Benson: Eastwell Estate's Matt Eastwell

Mr Eastwell, 35, the face behind relatively new Plantagenet label Eastwell Estate, said he could only have dreamed of personally marketing his product abroad when he started studying viticulture and oenology in 2003.

This Thursday, along with representatives from Alkoomi, Forest Hill, West Cape Howe, Xabregas and Albany’s Ocean Foods oyster farm, Mr Eastwell will set off on a Great Southern Development Commission initiative, dubbed the Two City Tour of China.

“We know in China there is quite an affluent emerging middle class,” Mr Eastwell said.

“I want to see if there is a niche market (in China) for small-scale production of natural wine made from biodynamic and organic grapes.”

Taking a range of handmade, small-batch wines including his 2009 reserve Tall Tree shiraz – of which only four barrels were made – Eastwell and his Great Southern colleagues will promote their labels at trade shows in Shanghai and Beijing.

GSDC export advisor Elizabeth Reed said the key objective of the project was to provide an opportunity for new Great Southern exporters to align themselves with trading partners.

She has also compiled a WA and Great Southern fresh produce catalogue and is taking selected samples to further showcase local 8products including honey and olive oil.

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