Altogether Unique

Read On

It's a great feeling to have got to the end of an activity-packed year without a pandemic disruption to speak of. Since the beginning of the year, we've showcased our Altogether Unique brand platform in all our key markets culminating in all our key markets culminating with an exploration of the Importance of Brand at the inaugural New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) Wine Business Forum in Christchurch. It was so valuable to gather, connect and learn from each other, and we're already into planning for next year's event, with this engaging forum now an annual fixture. The new year is just around the corner and we are looking forward to more opportunities to share our Altogether Unique New Zealand wine story in our key markets. A reminder of what we have coming up and how you can be involved can be found on the brand page of the members site at nzwine.com. May you all have the opportunity to enjoy relaxing moments with your friends and family these summer holidays.

Charlotte Read is NZW General Manager Brand

New Zealand Wine Reception - Los Angeles

In October, NZW hosted a reception for wine trade and media at Blue Plate Oysterette in Los Angeles, a stronghold for New Zealand wine sales in the United States. The aim was to showcase the diversity of what the New Zealand wine industry has to offer, and 17 wines were shared, including eight varietals from eight different regions. The event targeted an influential group, including beverage managers and retail buyers, as well as high profile New Zealand actress Melanie Lynskey. All attendees were impressed with the range and quality of the wines, and NZW looks forward to increasing the frequency of tasting and education initiatives in the Los Angeles area.

The Blind Tasting

This year's NZW Blind Tasting was held on 15 and 16 November in Hawke's Bay. Free for all members to submit their wines, this evaluation allows NZW to continue to identify our industry exemplars to 'put our best foot forward' when taking our Altogether Unique New Zealand Wine story to the world. Obtaining a diverse panel is a key requirement, ensuring a mix of winemakers and viticulturists, wine business folk, trade and media, alongside an associate panellist programme for both members and trade. Following the tasting, lead panellist Emma Jenkins MW produce a varietal summary document detailing the 'state of play' across our varieties. Her summaries encompass varietal development and trends, as well as regional, subregional, vintage and stylistic themes. This year almost 1,000 wines were tasted, showing strong growth on last year. Open to all members, The Not Blind Tasting event on the final day offered attendees an unparalleled opportunity to taste their way around our regions and varietals and to connect with peers.

Nordic Events

For the first time in the Nordics, an exciting collaboration between Wine Australia and NZW saw 500 wines from 43 regions across Australia and New Zealand showcased to more than 750 wine trade and consumers in Denmark and Sweden. The October event was the first time the organisations have run tastings in the region since the pandemic. In each city a trade tasting, masterclasses, and an evening consumer tasting took place, giving local wine trade and consumers the opportunity to discover new wines, revisit the classics, meet the makers, and catch up with importers. Wineries and importers could also connect with the monopoly buyers, distributors, restaurants, sommeliers, media and educators to help drive their businesses forward.