By Deborah Jackson, editor National Liquor News
Brian Walsh has been appointed to Chair the Australian Grape and Wine Authority (AGWA) for the next two years.
Tony D’Aloisio AM, WFA President, welcomed Walsh’s appointment and looks forward to working together to promote Australian wine around the world.
“As an industry we are eager to see AGWA sufficiently resourced to market Australian wine overseas and we will continue to advocate for modest, short-term government assistance to enable the industry to seize the opportunities opening up because of Free Trade Agreements and a return in consumer demand in some of our target markets, like North America.
“Now is the time to act on industry’s recovery plan.”
D’Aloisio and WGGA Chairman, Vic Patrick, said AGWA’s role in marketing Australian wine is vital and they will continue pressing the urgent case for government assistance to ensure AGWA is resourced to do its job.
“We look forward to seeing AGWA fully resourced to do the critical promotional work required to grow demand abroad and that will deliver benefits across the supply chain back here at home,” Patrick said.
Barnaby Joyce, the Minister for Agriculture, is expected to announce the next AGWA Board shortly.
AGWA – which operates under the name Wine Australia – came into being on Tuesday, July 1, 2014 following the merger of Wine Australia Corporation and the Grape and Wine Research Development Corporation. At that time the Minister appointed an Acting Chair and Board Directors.
Wine Grape Growers Australia and the WFA worked over a number of years to accomplish the merger of their two statutory authorities.