South Australian wine exports are expected to expand in the Asia-Pacific market after eight of Hong Kong's leading wine importers have joined the South Australian Wine Ambassadors Club (SAWAC).

Eight importers from Hong Kong were picked to promote South Australian wines.(Supplied: SAWAC)

The aim of the club is to expand growth and create new international markets for South Australia's wines.

Black Type Distribution, Continental Wines, and Rising Dew Enterprise are some of the importers who have been hand-picked to promote South Australian wines.

Hong Kong is the fourth-largest market for South Australia's wine exports, and in September those exports were valued at $137.4 million and represented 10 per cent of all SA wine exports.

Expected market growth

Tony Love is the co-patron for the SAWAC and he said the club would hopefully encourage importers and distributors to take on more SA wines over the next four years.

"They're really keen, in the Asian market especially, to learn a little bit more about what we do," he said.

"The wine knowledge and the wine-drinking culture is really growing.

"This is a really progressive program, to connect us together and develop really good relationships with those importers and distributors."

The SAWAC has also set chapters up in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and New Zealand.

There are 43 wine club ambassadors set to help promote South Australian wines and this number is set to expand.

Minister for Trade and Investment, Nick Champion, said the SA government created the club to increase the value of wine exports.

"We're getting the full value of what is a really great offering, and we do that by building these exclusive networks with these distributors and really targeting these emerging markets," Mr Champion said.

"We've got to make sure that we're getting great prices.

"We know there's a great thirst for South Australian wine in Hong Kong, and this is already a good market for us. We're just trying to make it that bit better."

Getting through tough times

Mr Champion said it was a challenge for the wine industry when China imposed trade tariffs on Australia.

"It's certainly been tumultuous times for the wine industry," Mr Champion said.

"We're hoping that our relationship with China stabilises and we can get on with what we do best with China, which is to trade with one another.

"The pandemic has buffeted the world, it's challenged international supply chains and we know this has been a very difficult time right across the world for international trade," he said.