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Gary Barlow travels to Australia for second wine series
Following on from his ITV series exploring the wines of South Africa, the Take That frontman has now headed to Australia for the second edition of Gary Barlow’s Wine Tour.
Barlow’s South African tour, which aired on ITV in November, involved the singer travelling across the country, starting in the Western Cape, and visiting vineyards along the way.
Barlow himself has a range of wines, created in partnership with Benchmark Drinks, which includes an organic Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa. Other expressions in the range include a white (Verdejo and Viura) and a red (Tempranillo and Syrah) from Spain, launched in 2021, and a Tempranillo-based rosé launched the following year.
In Gary Barlow’s Wine Tour: Australia, the singer will journey across the Land Down Under, tying in with the Take That This Life tour he is undertaking with Mark Owen and Howard Donald, the band’s first performing tour around the country in three decades.
In a press release concerning the new series, Barlow said that he was “blown away” by the response to his first trip, and promised that the Australian adventure would be “epic”.
Although precise wine locations have not been revealed yet, it has been shared that, over the course of six episodes, Barlow will be travelling across the length and breadth of the country, including the viticultural heartland of South Australia. The show is being produced in association with Tourism Australia and is due to air in the spring of next year.
Opportunity for Oz
Given Barlow’s profile as a celebrity, the series could well be good news for Australia’s wine industry.
According to Wine Australia’s Export Report for the 12 months to 30 September 2024, the UK is the second biggest export market for Australian wine by value (US$362 million, a US$9m year-on-year increase) and, by quite some distance, the biggest by volume (222 million litres, up by 7 million litres year-on-year). Around 90% of the volume of Australian wine shipped to the UK is transported in bulk and then packaged here.
Paul Turale, Wine Australia’s general manager marketing, told db that the singer’s show could deliver “long-term benefits” to the sector.
“Gary Barlow’s Wine Tour is a fantastic opportunity for Australia to showcase our exceptional wine and food offering, the adventurous spirit of our people and natural wonder of our lands,” said Turale. “It will inspire viewers to explore the diversity of Australian wine and perhaps even plan their own wine tour, delivering immediate and long-term benefits to the Australian category.”
When asked if the series means that Barlow’s wine range will expand to include an Australian offering of some description, a spokesperson for Benchmark Drinks told db: “The Gary Barlow Wine range is currently focused on South Africa, which aligns with the first series of Gary Barlow’s Wine Tour. The series was inspired by Gary’s journey to South Africa in 2023 where he blended his first vintage of Sauvignon Blanc.”
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