Wine industry looks ‘back to the future’

26 August 2013

Media Release

Wine industry looks ‘back to the future’

Only 40 years ago, the first grapevines selected for the modern New Zealand wine industry were planted in Marlborough. This week more than 550 grape growers, winemakers and industry leaders will converge in Blenheim to attend the annual wine industry conference.

The Romeo Bragato conference is named after one of the early pioneers of the industry. The conference will be held in Blenheim at the Marlborough Convention Centre from 28-30 August.

New Zealand Winegrowers General Manager Research Dr Simon Hooker says that after a few challenging years the wine industry has regained a sense of confidence thanks to successful ventures into new markets and a stellar 2013 vintage.

‘Much has changed in the wine industry in recent years, and the conference will identify current challenges and opportunities as well as review the hard lessons learned in the past.’

The conference theme will be addressed in keynote speeches, including the Bragato Address by Ian Proudfoot, Head of Agribusiness at KPMG New Zealand, and by Peter Baines, one of Australia’s leaders in rapid response to natural disasters and the founder of charitable organisation ‘Hands Across the Water.’

The conference programme includes technical sessions focused on quality grape and wine production and also features the only wine awards acknowledging the grape grower – the Romeo Bragato Wine Awards. Trophy winners of this competition will be announced at the Bragato Dinner on Thursday, 29 August. The dinner will also feature the finalists in the Moore Stephens Markhams Young Viticulturist competition.

-ENDS-

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