Wine Australia has axed its controversial export approval panel with immediate effect, replacing it with a permanent company audit regime, reports Decanter.com.

The changes have occurred following a consultation by Wine Australia (formerly known as the Australian Wine & Brandy Corporation), the Government statutory authority responsible for wine export compliance and regulation, a statement released yesterday says.

Exporters will no longer have to submit their wines for approval but they will be licensed and will be subject to audit, and must provide wine for comprehensive testing as required.

The auditing process will be expanded, Wine Australia says, with auditors visiting wineries to inspect records, examine labels and collect samples of exported wines.

Wine Australia’s chief executive Andrew Cheesman maintained that standards required for exported wines had not changed, but said, “Our approach to administering these standards will move from reliance on pre-export product inspections to a risk-based approach.”

Industry needs had changed, he said, “When the current export controls were first introduced four decades ago, Australian table wine was hardly known overseas and there was a risk that even one faulty wine could hurt our reputation.”

The Australian Wine Export Council panel, which was set up in 1929, was involved in a controversy last year, with senior commentators and producers complaining it was out of touch after wines that had been lauded by critics were rejected for export.

The new system will be fully implemented over the next 12 months, with the support of the industry’s representative body, the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia. All existing export licences remain current.