Wine Australia turned its attention to Malaysia last month as part of the Australian Food and Wine Collaboration Group’s latest in-market activation, designed to increase market access and strengthen bilateral trade for producers of Australian wine and food.
Wine Australia general manager, market development, Paul Turale was on the ground in Kuala Lumpur for the two-day event, which included a trade roundtable, a wine masterclass, a media conference and a Taste the Wonders of Australia gala dinner.
He said that while Australian wine does not face material market access issues with Malaysia, the in-market activation provided an opportunity to highlight the diversity and quality of Australian wines and to engage directly with a distinctive market in the region.
“The interesting part about the Malaysian market is that while the population is about 34 million, the actual wine-drinking population is much smaller, with industry sources suggesting it’s about 1 or 2 million,” said Turale.
“While it’s a relatively small audience segment, it’s actually our third biggest wine market in Southeast Asia, behind Singapore at number one and closely behind Thailand at number two.”
All wine consumed in Malaysia is imported, with Australia the country’s largest supplier, holding a 40 per cent volume share of the market. In the 12 months ending June 2025, 131 Australian wineries exported 2.7 million litres of wine to Malaysia, worth $42.4 million.
“There was clear demand for more wine activities, and the local trade commissioner and his team clearly see an opportunity for future growth in the wine category,” he said.
“It’s great to know we have strong support at the government level from the embassy, and we will certainly look at ways to continue to build on that in the future.”
Dining and Cooking