Exporting wine from Australia: Essential 2025 guide

The wine industry in Australia is big business. The country is among the biggest exporters of wine in the world, along with France, Italy, Spain and Chile¹. In 2024, Australia's overall wine exports were valued at $2.64 billion, beating 2023’s total of $1.9 billion². This increase was due in large part to the removal of China's tariffs on Australian bottled wine. 

Unfortunately, sending wine overseas isn't as simple as shipping water bottles. Solid supply chain logistics is needed to tackle a myriad of challenges such as fragility, temperature sensitivity, complex regulations, and market-specific demands. You’ll need international courier services that can handle everything from temperature-controlled shipping to simplifying excise duties and taxes for wine.

Unique challenges of exporting wines from Australia

How to export wine from Australia without your whites and reds losing their distinct flavours? When shipping wine overseas, it all comes down to temperature control. From a premium Shiraz developing cooked notes due to scorching heat, to fine Rieslings losing their aromatic intensity or undergoing re-fermentation because of extreme temperatures during transit, lack of temperature regulation can have disastrous results.

Temperature control: The silent killer of wine quality

Australia's diverse climate and the sheer length of international shipping routes make wines particularly susceptible to these temperature fluctuations – a silent killer of wine quality. 

DHL Express offers tailored solutions that simplify the process of sending wine overseas from Australia. Our express couriers in Australia utilise end-to-end cold chain logistics designed to ensure timely delivery of your wine. This includes specialised packaging solutions for temperature-sensitive products, state-of-the-art temperature monitoring systems, as well as temperature-controlled warehouses.

How to ship wine internationally and keep it intact

Beyond temperature, the inherent fragility of wine bottles poses another significant export challenge. The journey from vineyard to consumer can subject bottles to constant vibrations, accidental drops, and immense pressure from stacking, leading to breakage. This not only results in direct financial losses from damaged goods but also inflicts severe reputational damage, eroding customer trust and potentially jeopardising future international sales. 

To mitigate these risks, follow a packaging guide and always ensure that your packaging meets international standards. Your logistics provider should be able to provide ISPM-15-accredited and stamped pallets, which help to facilitate safe and environmentally sound global trade. Professional crating, shrink-wrapping and boxing are some of the other available options. The best way to ship wine bottles involves the generous use of dividers, protective material and void fill, especially when shipping wine overseas.

Wine-specific regulations & compliance

Wine faces a complex web of customs regulations that vary significantly by destination market. Unlike general import laws, wine shipments are subject to specific rules concerning duties, taxes, licensing, labelling, and even permissible alcohol content. These stringent controls aim to manage public health, collect excise revenue, and protect local industries — they can also vary wildly from country to country. 

Country-specific alcohol laws

• United States: Shipping wine from Australia to the USA can be lucrative, but it also means dealing with layers upon layers of regulations. According to Wine Australia, 16.3% of total Australian wine exports in 2024 went to the United States, amounting to A$356.3M. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) Federal oversees the sale and movement of all alcoholic beverages in the USA, and that's not even accounting for state and individual municipality regulations³. 
• United Kingdom: Since the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (A-UKFTA) went into effect in 2023, shipping wine from Australia to the UK became a lot easier as all tariffs on Australian wine exports to the UK have been lifted. This has allowed total exports of Australian wine to appreciate from 13.9% in 2018 to 16.1% in 2024. 
• Hong Kong: Wine exports in Hong Kong are under the purview of the Center for Food Safety (CFS). Although wine exports have always been tariff-free, the Australia–Hong Kong Free Trade Agreement (A-HKFTA) all but guarantees it will stay that way since its inception in 2020. Wine exports to Hong Kong made up 12.6% of total wine exports in 2024⁴. 

Labelling, additives & composition: Meeting international standards

Here are some more shipping tips for small business owners shipping wine overseas: getting your labels right is crucial. Australian wine exporters are subject to a labyrinth of international labelling, additive, and compositional rules. Products must be labelled accordingly by clearly stating the wine's alcohol content, permitted additives, residual sugar definition and producer information. They may also need to include health warnings. The United States TTB, for instance, has a maximum permissible volatile acidity for red wines at 0.14 grams per 100 ml. It also has strict definitions on what constitutes a table wine (grape wine with an ABV of 14% or less) and a dessert wine (grape wine with an ABV more than 14%, but less than 24%)⁵. 

Geographical Indications (GIs), which state that the wine is made from grapes grown within a particular geographical area, is heavily regulated to guarantee authenticity. Always seek specific legal and regulatory advice when exporting wine from Australia to ensure full compliance with all label information and wine composition.

Excise duties & taxes for wine

How to send wine overseas and avoid delays? Ask yourself if you have your taxes in order. Wine shipments frequently incur substantial excise duties, VAT/GST, or alcohol taxes upon import, which can dramatically erode profitability if not accounted for. Calculating these charges is notoriously complex, as rates vary wildly by country and can depend on factors like alcohol content, volume, and even the type of wine. This complexity often leads to unexpected costs for the buyer and can cause significant delays at customs.

Enter DHL Express's Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) shipping services, also known as Duties and Taxes Paid (DTP) shipping services. Let us do the heavy lifting when it comes to shipment clearance at the destination, along with all the import duties, taxes, and regulatory charges. DHL Express can invoice these charges to a specified DHL account at the origin or a third country, instead of billing the receiver. You may also choose to pay for our DTP services online through our On-Demand Delivery online portal.

Pop the cork of success together with DHL Express

• Temperature control expertise you can trust: Shipping wine with DHL Express gives you access to specialised temperature-controlled shipping options and expert handling that protects your wines from damaging heat spikes or extreme cold, preserving its quality from your cellar to the customer's doorstep. 
• Fragile goods handling you can rely on: Bottled wine is delicate. Our trained personnel know how to minimise breakage risks with robust packaging solutions. We ensure your "liquid gold" is handled with the utmost care, significantly reducing the chances of damage during transit.
• Complex customs & compliance simplified: Navigating international alcohol regulations, specific labelling requirements, and varied excise duties can be a nightmare. Our extensive global network and local customs experts simplify this process, ensuring your shipments meet all destination-specific laws, reducing delays, and preventing unexpected costs.

Open a DHL Express Australia business account today and get started on shipping wine overseas on easy mode.