Editorial: Look to the vines
OPINION: The plan for this editorial was to applaud the collaborative spirit of New Zealand wine, which was in full force at Altogether Unique 2024.
The Wine Business Forum; Navigating the Beverage Superhighway, was the first event of Altogether Unique 2024, held in Wellington in late August. Rob McMillan, founder of the Silicon Valley Bank wine division, refers to the global wine market as being lanes on a larger beverage highway that we’re all jostling for space on. We liked this concept, so shaped the day’s programme around helping members understand their place in this fast-moving, many-laned environment.
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Charlotte Read. NZW General Manager Brand, kicks off the Wine Business Forum |
The stellar speaker lineup was a blend of international and New Zealand-based experts who helped the audience understand the global headwinds our industry faces, and look to the opportunities (or new lanes) of innovation and artificial intelligence, and how sustainability and wine tourism, as part of our brand stories, can give New Zealand Wine a valuable competitive edge. See page 18 for some highlights from the engaging sessions. For the second year running, it was heartening to see strong attendance at the Wine Business Forum, with more than 90 unique wineries from eight regions registered. Attendees surveyed at the event provided 100% positive feedback. Planning is underway for the 2025 Wine Business Forum, so please get in touch with the New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) Brand team (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) about topics you’d like to see covered.
Pairing Wine with Tourism
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Thomas Moschetta, from Kinross, accepts the Qualmark New Zealand Wine Tourism Award from judges. |
New Zealand is home to more than 240 cellar doors and 530 winery experiences. Thanks to recent legislation changes (see page 47), more wineries can now offer the wine tourism experiences visitors expect. During the Wine Business Forum, the potential of wine tourism received multiple mentions across an array of speakers. Most notably the Chief Executive of Tourism New Zealand (TNZ), René de Monchy, spoke with optimism about the future potential of pairing wine with tourism and shared that 67% of visitors to New Zealand are motivated by New Zealand food and wine. He concluded that TNZ looks forward to a continued partnership with NZW to help strengthen the wine tourism sector and build year-round appeal for New Zealand as a premium visitor destination.
Hosting the inaugural Qualmark New Zealand Wine Tourism Award at the Altogether Unique 2024 Celebration Dinner, following the Wine Business Forum, is a great example of this partnership. Congratulations to Kinross of Central Otago for being the award’s first recipient. This award recognises the significant role that wine tourism plays in New Zealand’s visitor economy and gives special attention to vineyards that offer excellent and sustainable tourism experiences, celebrating people and place. NZW and Qualmark share a strong alignment in celebrating excellence and supporting continuous improvement in wine tourism. We know that wineries are a quintessential New Zealand tourism experience, combining the beautiful scenery of the vineyards, fabulous local wine and food, and the welcoming hospitality of the hosts.
Qualmark General Manager Steven Dixon, who presented the award, was impressed by all the wineries entered and their enthusiasm and commitment to delivering excellent visitor experiences. He shared with the audience that Qualmark was looking
forward to next year’s award and incorporating improvements to continue to celebrate excellence in New Zealand’s wine tourism sector.
Juliana Foster is NZW Global PR Manager
Canada - LCBO to visit NZ
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NZ Canadian Market Manager Andrea Backstrom, right, with an LCBO product manager. |
NZW is to host Marie Cundari, Senior Director of New World Wines at Ontario’s Liquor Control Board, along with LCBO Vice President Merchandising, Abhay Garg. The visit in February 2025, coinciding with Pinot Noir New Zealand 2025, is an opportunity for wine companies to learn more about the opportunities and challenges of the Canadian market (see page 14). For more information please email NZW Canadian Market Manager Andrea Backstrom at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
