NATURAL WINE AND FOOD TO PROMOTE PROVENANCE AND PRODUCTION New Zealand’s first natural wine and food festival – created by a group of Wellington wine industry buffs and developed with more than $7000 in crowd-funding – will celebrate what ‘natural’ is and why it’s important later this year. Budburst, to be held in the capital on November 13, will explore the concepts of artisan craft, healthy consumption, ethical and sustainable production and diversity in available wine styles. Its aim is to bring awareness, education and discussion together in a festival environment celebrating the enjoyment of wine in New Zealand. Event captain Amy Farnsworth of Regional Wines and Spirits 64 SEPTEMBER 2016 says most consumers are unaware of how diverse permitted winemaking practices can be, ranging from completely natural to highly manipulated. “This information is not readily available to the general consumer,” she says. Some of the producers pouring on the day include Don & Kindeli Wines (Martinborough and Nelson), Pyramid Valley Wines (Canterbury), Millton Vineyard (Gisborne), Elisabetta Foradori (Alto Adige), Arianna Occhipinti (Sicily) and Vincent Careme (Vouvray), with more to be announced in the coming months. Tickets are available now from budburst.nz. WINE TOURISM SUPPORTED BY AUCKLAND AIRPORT A $50,000 grant from Auckland Airport to the New Zealand Wine Pure Discovery Project will ensure that the enjoyment and participation levels of international visitors partaking in New Zealand wine tourism experiences will be boosted, New Zealand Winegrowers global marketing director Chris Yorke says. The money, granted this week to the project – a collaboration between winegrowers and the airport – signals a broadening of support for wine tourism and an increased interest in product development within the sector. “This project will have spin-off benefits for New Zealand’s entire economy,” Yorke says. “Attracting higher value wine tourists is becoming increasingly important as New Zealand wine works towards its goal of $2 billion of exports by 2020. What better way to enjoy New Zealand wine than in the spectacular locations where it’s grown and made, with the people who have lovingly produced it. That’s the kind of experience that forms memories of a lifetime.” New Zealand Tourism figures show that international visitors who frequent wineries on their trip tend to spend more and stay longer than other visitors. AUSTRALIAN GIANT ESTABLISHES IN NEW ZEALAND Vinomofo, which offers members the opportunity to buy wines from Australasia and international markets, has been launched in New Zealand with the intention of appealing to wine lovers and entrepreneurs from New Zealand’s start-up communities. Co-founder Andre Eikmeier say start-ups are dear to Vinomofo’s heart, which now boasts half a million followers in Australasia. “We love the environment and the energy start-ups bring, the way they work together, the way they epitomise the best things about building a product and a company, and taking on the world.” The launch of the New Zealand site marks the company’s first steps into the global market, and offers a curated wine service. Vinomofo has a team of buyers who look at the market and what it wants, are passionate about bringing new and unique brands into the spotlight and go out of their way to find interesting wines, Eikmeier says. “These are the wines we drink. If we don’t love it, we don’t sell it. Our tribe of mofos know that we go out of our way to make sure the wine they get is wine they want.”
FT-Sep16
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