Foster's EMEA, owner of wine brands such as Penfolds, Wolf Blass and Rosemount, is diversifying outside its Australian heartland to create a more global portfolio.

"The halcyon days of Australian wine are over and we are at a watershed for the industry where the days of year-on-year growth for Australia have gone," said MD Peter Jackson. "We have to take our business down a different route."

As part of this shift in focus Foster's has added two Chilean wines to its all-Australian Lindemans range. "When we asked consumers where they thought Lindemans was from, they weren't that sure. New World was about as close as it got," said marketing director James Lousada. "As a result we saw an opportunity to offer consumers wines from several different countries under the Lindemans umbrella."

Chile was chosen as it resonated with consumers and could offer the quality and volume the brand required. The two new wines, a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon, are available now, rsp £5.99. The company is also moving further into the Old World starting with a UK push for its Italian brand Gabbiano.

The brand has already seen some success in the US, where it is the number one Chianti, and in the UK it is aimed at Australian wine drinkers who are looking for something new. "The rsp on these two wines - a Pinot Grigio and a Chianti - is £5.99, which is a significant premium for Italian wine, which has an average bottle price of £3.48 in the UK," said Lousada.

"However we think with some good investment in the brand Italy represents a great opportunity for us."

Foster's Californian brand Beringer has also been overhauled. "We've repackaged and changed the liquid in the bottles to better suit UK tastes," said Neil Barker, Foster's commercial director UK and Ireland. The all-new Beringer range consists of two rosés, two whites and three red wines, rsp £5.99.

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