Sydney Opera House under fire for French wine deal

Sydney Opera House has found itself at the centre of a storm after signing a three-year promotional deal with Champagne House Pommery.

The taxpayer-funded venue has been criticised by a peak wine industry body for choosing to promote Champagne while local grape growers face oversupply crisis.

The NSW Wine industry has condemned the deal, calling it an insult to struggling local winemakers and grape growers at a time when the industry is facing its most challenging period in decades.

"The three-year partnership sees one of Australia's most iconic NSW Government supported venues turn its back on world-class NSW sparkling wine producers in favour of imported French Champagne," NSW Wine said in a media statement.

"The decision comes as NSW grape growers grapple with severe oversupply, with many pulling out vines and struggling to find markets for their fruit," NSW Wine president Mark Bourne said

"The partnership represents a missed opportunity to provide vital market access to local producers who are fighting for survival.

"While NSW grape growers face oversupply and struggle to find markets for their fruit, the Sydney Opera House - funded by NSW taxpayers - has chosen to import French Champagne instead of supporting our world-class local sparkling wine producers.

"This is an insult to the hundreds of families across our wine regions doing it tough, and it's a betrayal of the principle that NSW taxpayer-supported institutions should champion NSW businesses.

"NSW has sparkling wine producers from the Hunter Valley to Orange, the Southern Highlands and Tumbarumba to the Riverina, yet our own state institution has turned its back on them. Our winemakers don't need sympathy - they need customers, and our most iconic venue should be leading the way, not abandoning them when they need support most.

"The partnership creates the bizarre situation where international tourists visiting one of Australia's most recognisable landmarks will be served French Champagne while local producers struggle to survive."

Opera House CEO Louise Herron AM said she was "delighted with the new partnership" - a statement that has been met with anger by a local industry facing unprecedented challenges.

"While Applejack Hospitality's recent takeover of the Opera Bar has been a welcome return to showcasing local wines, this decision by the Sydney Opera House Trust undermines those efforts and demonstrates an outdated view of what taxpayer-supported venues should be doing to support local business," NSW Wine said

The decision follows the Art Gallery of NSW's partnership with Tasmanian producer House of Arras, raising serious questions about whether NSW's premier cultural institutions are committed to supporting the state's wine industry, the statement said.

"As we all strive to build more sustainable businesses, it's staggering that the Sydney Opera House feels proud and compelled to import sparkling wine from the other side of the world when it could be supporting businesses from any of our 16 wine regions," Bourne said.

"Taxpayer supported institutions have a responsibility to lead by example. This decision sends a terrible message not just to our industry, but to every NSW business that expects state venues to support local enterprise when it matters most.

"NSW Wine is calling on the Sydney Opera House Trust to reconsider its decision and demonstrate genuine commitment to supporting local producers during this challenging time for the industry."

* NSW Wine represents wine producers across the state's 16 wine regions, advocating for the industry and promoting NSW wines domestically and internationally.