Empowering young Pinot lovers
When Dan Sims launched Pinot Palooza in 2012, he was well aware of the narrative that young people were eschewing wine and the industry was on the verge of collapse.
Our hosted international guests, who attended the three-day conference and visited nine of our diverse wine regions, have responded exactly as we hoped - amplifying our premium New Zealand wine message by telling a Pinot Noir story, while also sharing the delightful diversity of our varietals and contrasting regions. The Pinot Noir New Zealand conference is a valuable 'hook' for our media and trade guests to come at one time, but the ture value lies in having our guests augment their New Zealand wine community experience across our regions. Thank you to everyone who played a role in helping these guests feel welcome in Aotearoa New Zealand, while advancing their understanding of what makes our wine Altogether Unique.
New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) is already looking forward to the next hook for New Zealand Wine to shine in front of trade and media guests, with the International Sauvignon Blanc Celebration 2027. Watch this space as we reveal plans in coming months.
Sommit 2025
Sommit was one of the highlights for the sommelier cohort of our hosted international guests at Pinot Noir New Zealand 2025. The eighth Sommit, hosted in Gisborne, was designed to celebrate the lesser-known aspects of New Zealand wine, with particular emphasis on the facets that resonate with the sommelier community. A leading group of nine talented sommeliers secured their place on the Sommit 2025 programme via a competitive selection process. Each time we run Sommit, improvements and optimisations are made, and this year, for the first time, a place was made available for the New Zealand Sommelier of the Year recipient. Our nine 'Sommiteers', from New Zealand, Australia, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States, are now back in market and preparing to host educational events for peers in their home cities, to pass on learnings and highlights from their visit to New Zealand. Bungo Matsunaga from Japan was quick to share his 'trip of a lifetime' and conducted a masterclass to the Japanese Sommeliers Association in March. Led by local hospitality experts Cameron Douglas MS and Stephen Wong MW, we have welcomed 123 Sommiteers from 18 countries since Sommit began in 2016.
nzwine.com/members/brand/education/sommit-2025
ProWein 2025
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NZW received support from New Zealand Ambassador to Germany Craig Hawke, third from left, and other UK/Europe NZTE wine advisors. |
NZW returned to ProWein 2025 in March with a strong presence. More than 60 wineries were represented at the fair, offering attendees the chance to discovery new wines and enjoy old favourites. The NZW Pavilion featured 17 producers showcasing 25 wine brands from six of the country's key wine regions, from Waiheke Island to Central Otago. NZW was supported by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, with experts on hand to explain the benefits of the United Kingdom and European Union Free Trade Agreements and how they could unlock opportunities for growth. In celebration of 30 years of SWNZ, a feature wall highlighted the initiative's key focus areas. Exhibitors reported a noticeable downturn in key trade visitors who may have already attended the increasingly popular Wine Paris trade fair held the month prior. However, as ever, the New Zealand stand was one of the busiest at the expo, reflecting strong interest in New Zealand's wines.
Intel & Insights
The slide deck and recording is now up on the NZW Members site from our recent webinar sharing the third year of IWSR New Zealand Wine brand health tracking among wine consumers in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand. As we celebrate 30 years of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ), we delved into purchase drivers that involved sustainability considerations and also sought perspectives from our General Manager Sustainability, Dr Edwin Massey, on how developing sustainability credentials can secure your route to market, as many channel gatekeepers are now requiring them,
Wine Business Forum 2025
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Felicity Carter at the 2024 Wine Business Forum |
We are looking forward to hosting our third NZW Wine Business Forum on 28 August, at Te Pae, Ōtautahi Christchurch, as part of the wider New Zealand Wine 2025 event. This is an opportunity to be inspired, learn and connect with fellow industry members, and tap into leading topics and trends in wine business, including how to connect with ‘Gen Z’ and subsequent younger generations, asking ourselves if are we embracing artificial intelligence enough, and navigating evolving lifestyles and taste preferences. The programme will once again treat members to leading local and international voices to challenge and entertain us. As we celebrate 30 years of SWNZ, we will also explore topics on sustainability and its importance to wine business.
