Wine Tourism: NZ’s Strategic Growth Engine, Forum 2026
Global wine commentators are increasingly describing wine tourism as a "strategic growth engine" to help address the challenges facing the global wine sector.
Judge Anna King Shahab praised the impressive calibre of entries, with “multiple strong contenders” in each category. The winners were:
- Accommodation: Black Barn Vineyards
- Architecture and Landscape: Craggy Range Giants Winery
- Art and Culture: Black Barn Vineyards
- Culinary Experiences: Craggy Range Restaurant
- Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences: Smith & Sheth Heretaunga Wine Studio
- Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices: Church Road
- Wine Tourism Services: Smith & Sheth Oenothèque
The category winners will represent Hawke’s Bay at the Best Of Wine Tourism international awards at a gala dinner in Italy in October. Steve Smith MW, co-founder of Smith & Sheth, which opened its Oenothèque and Heretaunga Wine Studio in 2019, says the awards are a significant milestone, “demonstrating our commitment to excellence and innovation in our wine experiences”.
Anna described Smith & Sheth as “a master touch in crafting a wide range of experiences suited to all wine lovers. Its Oenothèque offers an array of opportunities to enjoy and learn about wine, from themed workshops to casual evenings in the wine lounge listening to live music.” She says there are some exceptional wine tourism operators in Hawke’s Bay, “which made our job very challenging”.
