"We want to showcase our homegrown produce to the over 80,000 people who visit Parliament every year," says Parliamentary Service Chief Executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero.
The new wine range will be the exclusive wine served at parliamentary events, served as the house wine in Bellamys restaurant and Pickwicks bar, and be available in the Parliament gift shop.
"Diners and visitors to Parliament already enjoy food which showcases the best of New Zealand cuisine, while soaking up the atmosphere at the heart of New Zealand's democracy. Now, we want to pair this quintessentially New Zealand experience with some of our country's finest wines."
All wineries in New Zealand can submit wines to be part of the range, which will feature a variety of white and red wines, a port, and a méthode traditionnelle.
"One of the reasons our wine industry is so unique is the range of styles we're able to produce from subtropical Northland to icy Otago," Rafael says. "We'd like our wine list to reflect how diverse our winemaking regions are."
A shortlist of wineries will be invited to present their wines to an expert panel in Wellington, who will evaluate each on a range of criteria including sustainability, technical merit, and value for money.
Go to parliament.nz for information about criteria and the application process.
