By 3 News online staff
New Zealand wine growers are set to cement their presence in Asia by opening an office in Hong Kong next week.
It's a first for New Zealand and a major step for the industry as it tries to increase exports to Asia and build presence in the region.
John Barker from New Zealand Wine says the move is an attempt to capitalise on what is expected to be a new center of growth for NZ wine.
Mr Barker told Firstline the NZ wine industry brings in around $100 million per year, but expanding to Asia could up that figure to $150 million.
“China is certainly a major opportunity, the data indicates there that at the moment they’re drinking one litre of wine per person across the whole population, that’s set to triple by 202,” he says.
3 News