News: TWE UPDATE 1-Australia's Treasury Wine posts 17.1 pct rise in HY profit

(Adds details from report, 2020 guidance)

Feb 13 (Reuters) - Australia's Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (TWE) , the world's largest standalone winemaker, said on Thursday its first-half net profit rose 17.1 percent as surging sales to China, its biggest market, overcame a slowdown in consumer spending.

The owner of the Penfolds, Beringer and Wolf Blass labels reported net profit of A$219 million ($155.21 million) for the six months to Dec. 31. Analysts had forecast a net profit of about A$231 million.

Treasury Wine exports to Europe, North America and Asia, but its sales to China have become closely watched since relations between Canberra and Beijing cooled in 2018 over accusations of undue Chinese influence on Australian politics.

Analysts are also watching for signs of weaker consumer spending in China since tech maker Apple Inc AAPL.O gave a surprise profit warning last month, citing a downturn in China sales. Treasury Wine is one of Australia's biggest exporters of consumer goods to the mainland.

Melbourne-based Treasury said Asia sales, which includes the Chinese market, surged 32.4 percent to A$393.9 million from the same period a year ago, as luxury and masstige wines -- mass-produced prestige wines -- sold more.

Revenue from the Americas division rose 20 percent while the Europe business recorded a near 9 percent growth in the period.

The company declared an interim dividend of 18 cents per share, up from 15 cents per share a year earlier.

Pre-tax profit was A$338.3 million, within the guidance the company gave on Jan. 21 of between A$335 million and A$340 million.

Treasury Wine, Australia's largest wine exporter, maintained its full-year 2019 guidance for pre-tax profit growth of 25 percent, while forecasting a growth of about 15 percent to 20 percent for the same figure in 2020. ($1 = 1.4110 Australian dollars)