The Marketing Place

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We've been delighted with the response to the launch of the refreshed brand identity, New Zealand Wine, Altogether Unique, which was showcased during New Zealand Wine Week and ProWein, then through the Pour Yourself a Glass of New Zealand campaign in May. It was also a headline act at the three-city Altogether Unique China Roadshow in May, followed by a networking event at the New Zealand High Commission in Singapore that coincided with VinExpo Asia.

The chance to share our story continues in June, with the long-awaited joint United States and Canada initiative, 'Bringing New Zealand to North America', which was initially planned for 2020, before Covid-19 changed the landscape. We also have events in Australia on the horizon, with 'Somewhat Sommit' and the Altogether Unique tastings.

At home, New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) is supporting a bunch of exciting initiatives, including the Organic & Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference in June, the inaugural Aotearoa Chardonnay Symposium in Hawke's Bay in early October, and an exciting new NZW industry celebration event in November.

This all paves the way for Pinot Noir 2025, New Zealand wine's first big international event since the pandemic. It will be wonderful to have international trade and media back in our midst for these home-grown events, to help celebrate and share the great work we do in our industry.

Kia kaha, Charlotte

Charlotte Read is NZW General Manager Marketing

London Wine Fair 2023

NZW returned to the London Wine Trade Fair on 15 May for a One Day Pop Up Tasting. More than 70 wines were available to taste across eight tables, showcasing a wide range of themes, from organic and biodynamic to natural, orange and Pét Nat wines, and from smaller-planted varieties to an array of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, including blends, subregional expression and oak. There was 'A Tour of Hawke's Bay' represented in the tastings, as well as subregional Central Otago Pinot Noir, a 'Tour of Smaller North Island Regions', and 'A Tour of Smaller South Island Regions'. The London Wine Fair is the UK's largest wine fair, with more than 10,000 attendees over three days.

Altogether Unique China Roadshow

This New Zealand Wine Roadshow event in May saw 77 New Zealand wine brands exposed to 1,500 local Chinese trade and consumers in Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai. These cities have the features of mature wine markets, and the roadshow was an opportunity for wineries to create and foster relationships with local trade, gain a better understanding of market trends and changes, and boost exports and sales via guided wine tastings and masterclasses.

Fongyee Walker MW led the masterclasses, with the sessions live-streamed and shared with a wider audience on NZW, Weibo and WeChat social media platforms. NZW also worked with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise on day-long export capability building workshops alongside the roadshow, to provide insights and updates on the market China economy, consumers, E-commerce, social media and on-trade channels.

Somewhat Sommit

NZW and Sommeliers Australia will host the Somehwat Sommit and Altogether Unique Tasting in Melbourne on 5 June and in Brisbane the following day. The Somewhat Sommit is based on the original Sommit format, hosted by Cameron Douglas MS and Stephen Wong MW, and will be held in market for the first time. Cameron and Stephen will present wines and lead discussions on the nuances and future direction of New Zealand wine in the on-premise segment. The Altogether Unique Tasting will follow, open to a wider group of trade. The tutorial and tasting are aligned with an approach of 'influence the influencers', and the same event will be held in Sydney in July/August. These are the first NZW events to be held in Australia after a four-year hiatus.