Australian winemakers are showing a renewed spring in their step today, with export figures released this morning showing record growth in 2017, a buoyancy not seen in the industry since 2004.

The value of wine exports has increased by 15 per cent in the past year to $2.56 billion, and it was also a record year for volume, increasing 8 per cent to 811 million litres.

Wine Australia chief executive Andreas Clark, who is in London for an Australia Day marketing push in the United Kingdom, said the export figures were being driven largely by exports to China, a market that had increased by 63 per cent in the past year.

"We're not only selling more wine, we're getting more money for it," he said.

"This is a great reward for the industry, for all the hard work of grape-growers, winemakers and exporters."

Australian wine exports reached a post-GFC high of $2.56 billion in 2017, despite a drop in exports to the UK, the US and Canada. ( Supplied: Wine Australia )

But the report is not all good news, reflecting shrinkage in some markets, including reduction in the value of Australian wine exports to the United Kingdom and the United States.

Both were down 2 per cent, while exports to Canada were down by 3 per cent.

Meanwhile, the Australian Government has formally protested to the World Trade Organisation after lobbying from local industry over "discriminatory and anti-competitive behaviour" in Canadian provinces.

Hard work will continue in overseas markets

Mr Clark said the figures had to be taken in context.

"You can't read too much into that," he said of the UK, US and Canadian figures.

"It just demonstrates you need to continue to work hard in those markets.

"In the US and the UK we have had growth at some of the more premium price points, so that is positive news."

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 36 minutes 38 seconds 36 m China Wine ( Prue Adams )

Mr Clark said the UK was a critical market and had been for many years.

"It is still number one by volume, and that is why we have a major event kicking off here in London tomorrow, with over 1,000 wines being poured from over 40 regions."

He said the wine market in the UK was starting settle down after the shock of Brexit, but there was still an element of uncertainty around the impact of those changes.