Is country of origin still important?

NEARLY a decade ago as the GFC bit, we saw amazing wine specials in our supermarkets, as wineries, eager to shed inventory and gain turnover (in what were difficult times), slashed prices.

I remember talking to my friend Jules then: he was bullish at the prospect of new wine drinkers who would be attracted to these modestlypriced wines, and whom he felt would ‘‘trade up’’ over time, creating growth for Kiwi wineries. While I somewhat agreed with his premise, my cynical side pointed out that the prices being offered were unprofitable, unsustainable, and in creating a new normal of superlow prices would lead to companies sourcing cheaper wine from overseas to meet these price points in the future. This has now become commonplace in New Zealand.

Of course, this begs the question — ‘‘How many really care?’’

Many consumers want a nice, solid wine that goes well with dinner and friends, not an epiphany in a glass, and probably care little where it comes from.

With our cool climate and relatively small industry, New Zealand is not a significant player in the world bulk wine market: we simply cannot produce consistent volume cheaply enough. Subsequently, in the race for the bottom of sub$10 prices, more and more companies are looking offshore.

I have no qualms with this: We live in a free trade environment and companies need to remain profitable. If consumers are seeking pricesensitive wines, then companies have every right to procure these wherever they can.

The grey area for me is in the labelling. Do people think they are buying Kiwi, when in reality they are not? A number of wellknown New Zealand brands are no longer Kiwi made, and the country of origin is discreetly mentioned on the back label. Did you know? Do you care?