(TheWest) - Australian wines are set to get a big boost in China from e-commerce giant Alibaba Group's latest venture.

An online "flagship store" featuring Australian wine has been launched on Alibaba's business-to-consumer platform Tmall.com.

Alibaba's online retail sites cater to 434 million Chinese consumers, and the group generates half of China's online wine sales.

The new store on Tmall, supported by Wine Australia and operated by Chinese online retailer Vinehoo.com, will initially stock 10 brands from eight Australian wine regions, followed by another 20 brands in coming months.

The first brands to be featured include Brokenwood, Coriole, John Duval, Pikes and Voyager Estate. Wine Australia does not select the brands.

Wine Australia chief executive Andreas Clark said Alibaba was a significant player in Chinese e-commerce - a massive company with great reach.

"The muscle they can bring, potentially, to further increasing Australian wine sales is vitally important," Mr Clark said.

China's food and wine culture is still evolving, he said, and more Chinese consumers are looking online for premium products.