Marlborough Wine & Food Festival Put on Hold
Putting the Marlborough Wine & Food Festival on hold was a tough decision, given the festival's long history in the region, says Wine Marlborough General Manager Marcus Pickens.
One island and 30 days of wine, food and culture. Across the month vineyards, restaurants and local businesses will host winemaker dinners, masterclasses, cellar door exclusives, curated tastings, wine and wellness events, wine talks and larger scale hospitality experiences.
New Zealand International Wine Show
16 October
Entries have been positive for the 2026 New Zealand International Wine Show, says convenor Kingsley Wood in the lead up to the 22nd awards event. Judging was undertaken in late September, and a public gold-medal tasting will be held in Auckland on Wednesday 7 October, followed by the trophy awards presentation at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Auckland, on Friday 16 October. Kingsley says a gold medal or trophy awarded in a nationally recognised competition signifies to the purchasing public that the wine is top quality. "A gold is so easy to market and is there for the life of the wine."
Great Wine Capitals International Conference
18-22 October
More than 80 delegates from the world's best wine regions, from Bordeaux to Napa Valley, will attend this five-day conference in Hawke's Bay, with the theme "A World of New". The programme includes keynote presentations, roundtable discussions and curated regional experiences, as well as technical visits, business meetings and tastings. The Knowledge Day on Thursday 22 October will see experts sharing their expertise on wine tourism, including a state-of-the-industry keynote address by Paris-based Dr John Barker, Director General of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine.
NZW & EECA Solar Webinar
21 October
New Zealand Winegrowers and EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) will present ideas on the transition to solar, solar system sizing and design, vineyard and winery electrification, and potential for batteries to maximise energy efficiency.
Marlborough Wine Show
21-23 October
Hong Kong-based Master of Wine Jennifer Docherty will be guest judge at this year's Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect. An Industry Tasting will be held Saturday 24 October at the Marlborough Wine + Food Experience, and the Celebration will be held at the Queen Charlotte Yacht Club on Friday 13 November.
Wine & Food Gisborne
25 October
An iconic Labour Weekend tradition, with exceptional wine, delicious food producers, great company and an array of live music.
United States Market Webinar
4 November
A first look at the latest US brand health tracking results and off- and on-premise scan-based market insights, with key takeaways for New Zealand wine exports.
Harvest Hawke's Bay Festival
21 November
Sample exceptional wines from Hawke's Bay's best wineries, paired with dishes from award-winning local chefs and a backdrop of live entertainment.
United Kingdom Market Webinar
2 December
Explore the latest UK brand health tracking results and off-trade scan-based market insights, highlighting consumer trends and opportunities for New Zealand wine.
The Southern Pinot Workshop
20-22 January 2027
This annual event brings together winegrowers and viticulturists from New Zealand and the rest of the world for an in-depth look at Pinot Noir. It includes presentations, along with unfinished barrel samples tasted in a closed forum, with the aim of developing better viticultural and winemaking practices.
This year's guest speaker is Dr Thomas Lines Co-founder of AgMap and Research Fellow at the University of Adelaide's School of Agriculture, Food and Wine. He will discuss his research on the effects of cover crops on vine physiology, soil health, microbiomes and wine quality. The workshop also hosts and showcases a Burgundian producer, and this year Michelin two-star winemaker David Croix of Domaine des Croix in Beaune will discuss his wines. An influential wine marketing expert will also present on current trends in wine sales.
Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand 2027
2-4 February 2027
A ground-breaking expert in Māori astronomy will present at Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand 2027, as part of a fascinating speaker programme. Pioneering Māori scholar Professor Rangi Matamua (Tūhoe) won the 2019 Prime Minister's Science Communication Prize, the 2020 Callaghan Medal for science communication from the Royal Society Te Apārangi, the 2020 Te Ururangi Award for Education at the Matariki Awards, and the 2023 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year. The Professor of Mātauranga Māori at Massey University has enlightened national and international populations with his research and is helping to reconnect people with maramataka - the Māori lunar calendar - and the environment. He will join speakers including Jermaine Stone (@realwolfofwine), a New York wine communicator known for blending wine and hip hop culture, and London-based Felicity Carter, founder of Drinks Insider and Editorial Director at Areni Global. Charlotte Dagueneau, daughter of the late Didier Dagueneau, will also speak of her connection to the Loire Valley. The SBNZ27 programme, to be held in Wairau, Marlborough, is designed to celebrate New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and broaden global perceptions of the category, exploring diverse regional expressions, age-worthy styles and emerging innovations. Committee member Ben Tombs, Winemaker at Craggy Range, says the event is "an extraordinary opportunity to demonstrate just how diverse our styles can be."
The North Canterbury Wine & Food Festival
13 March 2027
Enjoy an excellent Saturday spent tasting wine and devouring gourmet food with the passionate growers, makers and chefs of North Canterbury.
Undercurrent 2027
1-3 June 2027
Organic Winegrowers New Zealand’s flagship event will be held in Queenstown from 1–3 June 2027. Previously known as the Organic & Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference, the three-day Undercurrent 2027 will explore organic, regenerative and biodynamic winegrowing with leading thinkers, passionate practitioners and cutting-edge scientific insights from Aotearoa and abroad. Undercurrent is designed for experienced practitioners and new adopters alike, say organisers. “Undercurrent is the quiet force beneath a changing landscape.”
Undercurrent 2027 Chair Anika Willner says Central Otago is a fitting place for the conference’s “next chapter”, with the highest proportion of organic vineyards in New Zealand. “This conference also has always been about the wider community of growers, thinkers and practitioners working across the country.”
Among the stellar speaker lineup is winemaker and educator Adam Huss, from New York, and regenerative organic vigneron Alice Anderson of Âmevive Wine in Santa Barbara County in the US. Alongside the conference programme, there will be an organic wine party at Sherwood and a twilight scenic cruise across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak High Country Farm.
