The answer to that question seems obvious when considering the community/social (for example, jobs, flow-on to local businesses etc) and the ever-increasing green question – WA wine hasn’t travelled over the Nullarbor, emitting carbon getting here.

We are seeing some consumer-driven decentralisation of goods with the renaissance of local farmers markets and community gardens – let’s extend that further to wine.

I challenge the notion that WA and Margaret River wines are currently more expensive than New Zealand ones. Currently you can buy branded WA wine for under, or around, $10, like Houghtons stripe range, Gnagarra etc. Loyalty doesn’t just apply to substituting NZ for WA or Margaret River, you can stretch this to south eastern Australian labels like Jacobs Creek. These wines can be the same price as the Houghtons stripe range. WA offers very good value from under $10 to other higher level price brackets. It has done so for a long time.

Let’s turn our attention to Rob Bennett’s comments “sauvignon blancs from NZ are as good as I’ve tasted for my price range” mentioning Giesen and Stoneleigh at $13-$14. If you compare WA and Margaret River wines (and I refer to wine styles/varieties like sauvignon blanc, semillon sauvignon blanc, sauvignon blanc semillon and classics) that are currently in that price bracket then I suggest you have not explored enough WA wine.

Competition is a great reality check and raises the bar for what the consumer expects.

Explore what is under your nose – it’s pure, wild, desirable and not expensive.