Altogether Unique

As we approach the year's halfway mark, all signs point to stunning wines from the 2024 vintage and strengthening export sales trends. That's a perfect platform for New Zealand Wine Altogether Unique 2024, set to roll out over two packed days in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Wellington, starting with the Wine Business Forum on 29 August, then the Celebration Dinner that evening. Following the sellout success of our inaugural 2023 Wine Business Forum, ‘The Importance of Brand’, this year’s event at Te Papa is dedicated to ‘Navigating the Beverage Superhighway’. The overall focus will be on understanding our consumers, evolving trends, and highlighting what opportunities to innovate lie ahead in the highly dynamic and fast moving global beverage market. The full programme can be found at www.nzwine.com/en/initiativesevents/altogetherunique

We look forward to seeing you there.

Pour Yourself a Glass of New Zealand

In its third year, the month-long Pour Yourself a Glass of New Zealand campaign celebrated New Zealand’s top three exported white wine varieties, with International Sauvignon Blanc Day (3 May), International Pinot Gris Day (17 May), and International Chardonnay Day (23 May). NZW held campaign activations in Australia, the US, Canada and China, with NZTE also leading activity in South Korea. A Happy Hour was held in mid-town New York, where 18 media got to experience a range of New Zealand white wines and celebrate the three wine days. In Canada, NZW held a Wine & Design event where media were treated to an interactive evening of sampling New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and creating their own bouquet with fresh floral arranging. Media press kits went out to 15 Australian wine and lifestyle media, each receiving a bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay. In China, Fongyee Walker MW and Sophie Parker-Thomson MW led two masterclasses with the theme of Iconic Whites of New Zealand during the NZW Altogether Unique New Zealand Wine Roadshows, and more than 20 New Zealand white wine education courses and wine tastings took place across China. NZTE Korea celebrated Sauvignon Blanc Day and invited 25 social influencers and media to attend a mini seminar on New Zealand wine while cruising on the Han River. At the time of writing, global media coverage of the campaign has reached 12 million people, with many more results to surface.

ProWein Dusseldorf

ProWein continues to be a popular trade expo for the New Zealand wine industry, with the March 2024 event including 25 producers within the New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) pavilion, as well as 50 other New Zealand wineries represented across the fair. There were more than 45,000 registered trade visitors from 136 countries, and 5,200 exhibitors from 65 countries at the event, in its 30th year. One winery commented that it was a “very successful fair for us”, while another reported on “a great event” and appreciation for the support. “Hopefully we will be there again next year,” they said. However, there was also talk of New Zealand’s presence at Wine Paris in future years and NZW is currently seeking expressions of interest from members.

Sommit Returns

After a five-year hiatus, Sommit will return in 2025, following Pinot Noir New Zealand 2025. A select group of international sommeliers from across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, China and Japan will once again be hosted in Gisborne by Cameron Douglas MS and Stephen Wong MW, for an intensive New Zealand wine experience targeted to the on-premise. Attendees then share their knowledge back to their networks in their home cities. Applications for US and Canadian sommeliers are open now, with Australia’s application programme opening on 1 July in association with Sommeliers Australia. More information on how to apply is at nzwine.com/en/trade/tradeevents/sommit. “The post-sommit blues are very real,” says a past attendee. “I really cannot express how grateful I am for the experience. It was everything.”