(TDB) - Australia’s top wines achieved their highest export value to date in 2016, climbing 19% to AUS$574m (£344m), Wine Australia’s December 2016 export report has revealed.

The impressive figure applies to wines priced at AUS$10 or more per litre free-on-board (FOB), and was driven by demand across all major export markets, particularly north-east Asia, the report disclosed.

Exports priced AUS$10 and more per litre FOB were up in all of Australia’s top five markets except Hong Kong ­– mainland China by 47%, the US by 23%, the UK by 25% and Canada by 9%. Hong Kong was down by 12%.

Growth in the premium price segments (Table 1 below) added more than AUS$93 million in value in 2016.

The total export value for Australian wine grew by 7% to AUS$2.22bn last year, while the average value grew by 6% to $2.96 per litre FOB – the highest average value since 2009.