Cellar-bration

“Implementing a tasting fee reinstates the value proposition for our wines and the industry as a whole, creating a more equitable environment for all cellar doors.”

Under previous rules, any cellar door wanting to charge for tastings needed an on-licence, which meant it had to provide food. National Party MP for Kaikōura, Stuart Smith, previously a winegrower and founder of Fairhall Downs Estate, instigated the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Winery Cellar Door Tasting) Amendment Bill, which allows winery cellar doors with an off-licence to charge for providing samples of wine, which were previously only able to be given away for free. Winery cellar doors will continue to observe host responsibility practices, including a maximum sample size of 35ml, meeting the new requirements to have snack food available for purchase and for water to be freely available.

Stuart says tourism opportunities drove him to draft the bill for wineries. “I don’t think people understand how important that is, and some of those small operators will now be much more likely to open a cellar door because they can get something back for the tastings that they provide.”

Some small wineries have already adapted to comply with the former legislation, including Cambridge Road Wines in Martinborough. Owner-operator Lance Redgwell says the new legislation changes nothing for him, but he sees it as a positive move for others. “We already satisfied the requirements of the old Act and being in the village means that we have always had a ready market for visitors, who can walk five minutes to get to us for a tasting with a bit of food.” They will continue to serve food as a part of the Cambridge Road experience, he says. “I imagine the new law makes it a lot easier for those small and new growers that don’t traditionally offer a full cellar door experience because of the challenges of satisfying the historic requirements.”

Stuart says there was significant support for the bill in Parliament, with many calling it a sensible change. “My experience in the wine industry helped with this bill. The brewers and distillers wanted their products to be included in the cellar door tasting bill, but the reality is that I didn’t draft the bill for that. I drafted it for wine. If it was to include spirits and beer, it opens up a whole other layer.”

He says small wineries with few staff will find it easier to market and attract customers for a cellar door experience that would have been more difficult in the past, due to the cost of opening wines that may only be sampled by one or two people.

The approach is likely to attract visitors who have a genuine interest in wine, “allowing us to foster meaningful conversations about potential follow up purchases” says Lianne from Quartz Reef. “This opportunity for engagement is invaluable and holds significant potential to enhance the profitability of our cellar door in the future.”