Wine exports increased by 6.4 per cent in volume and by 10.5 per cent in value in the 12 months to September, says rural lending specialist Rabobank.
Exports in September fell by 5 per cent in volume but increased by 12.2 per cent in value compared with the same month last year, illustrating the support that the short 2015 harvest and lower New Zealand dollar is providing to pricing, the bank said.
Average prices for New Zealand wines exported in bottles jumped to $9.22 a litre in the September month, the highest level since January, 2012.
Prices to the UK, the United States and Australia in particular have rebounded strongly since the March/April harvest.
The bank said early indications suggest wine production would increase slightly in 2015, but not enough to put any significant downward pressure on bulk wine prices.
