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An exciting year ahead NEW ZEALAND wine is celebrating its 23rd consecutive year of export growth, as the industry continues its international success. The new year has kicked off with a bang as Sauvignon 2019 returned for the second time in New Zealand. The world’s leading wine producers, experts and key influencers all shone a spotlight on this diverse, expressive and sought-after variety. The event ran over three days from 28 - 30 January 2019 in Marlborough and explored the complexity of Sauvignon Blanc, emerging styles, vineyard practices, Philip Gregan, CEO, NZ Wine winemaking influences and its future. Throughout the summer months we also look forward to a boom in wine tourism. Of all international holiday visitors, 27% visit a NZ winery, and in 2017 we had 712,000 visitors to our wine regions. The international wine tourist is spending more, staying longer and visiting more regions than the average visitor. There are 279 wineries offering more than 400 wine tourism experiences in New Zealand, with services available ranging from cellar doors with tastings, wine tasting experiences with winemakers, vineyard tours, to restaurants and luxury accommodation. For many of us, Brexit and the uncertainty around what it could mean continues to be an issue. The risk of a “no deal” Brexit is increasing. Whether or not a deal is struck, the UK is New Zealand wine’s largest single market by volume and we are encouraging our members to ensure, at a minimum, that they talk with their UK distributors now to understand their perception of the risks. And finally, in 2018 the world’s love affair with New Zealand wine grew as wine lovers continued to explore our diverse range of wine varieties and styles. It will be interesting to see if Rosé continues to be such a phenomenal success story. Consumers are showing a great fondness for the style, prompting winemakers to produce greater volumes, as they are with Pinot Gris. We don’t see this momentum slowing any time soon! Watch this space as 2019 is shaping up to be another exciting year. 14
HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - LEADERS FORUM 2019
Caro Jensen and Emily Camblin, Founders of Sip NZ / sipnzwine.com
5 wine trends to look out for Conscious Consumers
CONSUMERS ARE increasingly interested in where their products are coming from and how they’re made. Wine is no different and with growing consumer interest organic, biodynamic and vegan friendly wines are “naturally” popular choices.
Bubbles Blossom Sparkling wines, especially Prosecco and Rosecco, will continue to grow in popularity here in New Zealand, turning the drink that has been historically reserved for celebrations into an everyday sip. Launches of small format bottles such as Moët Mini fuel that trend and offer a suitable new format to enjoy bubbles at different occasions.
Rosé is here to stay Once labelled a by-product, Rosé has come a long way with a huge selection of styles available in New Zealand to suit every taste and budget. Kiwis will continue to drink pink over the next year (especially on Rosé Day on 5 February!) and we’ll see more instagrammable wine-based cocktails and new packaging formats as Rosé unleashes its full potential as a lifestyle drink.
The rise of the wine-fluencer Peer to peer and Key-Opinion-Leader (KOL) reviews are becoming as important as wine critics’ thoughts on a product, especially for younger consumers and especially in emerging wine markets. New Zealand’s wine influencer scene is in its infancy, but we predict it is going to mature over the next year(s).
New concepts pop-up Events such as Pinot Palooza and the Urban Wine Walk are shaking up the wine event scene and are offering interesting new ways to taste wines and meet the maker. Exciting pop-up concepts will continue to emerge in 2019 and we are ready for it. Bye trestle tables and laminated tasting notes. You won’t be missed!