Rising above the $1 billion mark in annual exports has seen a corresponding rise in the interest in New Zealand wines, with the national brand making it all the way to the front page of the New York Times website today.

While the headline for the story – ‘New Zealand struggles to keep wine prices up’ – suggests a harsh look at the current state of the industry, NY Times writer Alexandra Harney offered up a balanced and relatively positive view of an industry going through growing pains.

No part of the story, including a typically blunt Peter Yealands comment, would come as any surprise to New Zealanders, but this kind of exposure in the lucrative US market is another example of growing international interest in the wines produced in this country.

NZ Winegrowers global marketing director Chris Yorke told NBR the increased profile owed a lot to the industry recently breaching the $1 billion barrier in exports.

“We are now a billion dollar export industry and that does lead to a pick-up of interest. As you become more significant, people are more interested in you.”

The US is a key target market for local wine producers and Mr Yorke said the article showed the word was getting out there.

“For wine companies looking to break into the US, this kind of exposure is priceless.”