Sniff, swirl, sip, spit repeat as New Zealand wines put through their paces in Nelson
For the first time in 2022, the annual New Zealand Winegrowers Blind Tasting Event was held outside of Auckland, and we are proud to have been the first region to play host! Stuff’s Katie Townshend attended the event to report on the drama, expertise and organisation that goes into selecting the best of New Zealand wines to help promote our industry on an international stage.
Read our summary below and view the full article on Stuff.
Master of wine and lead panellist, Emma Jenkins.
Article by Katie Townshend, published by Stuff on 3 November 2022.
The tinkle of glasses wheeled about on trollies chimes in your ears. Expert eyes examine gleaming wine legs left after a practised swirl. The smell of top New Zealand vintages hangs in the air.
This feast for the senses was a blind tasting of 845 New Zealand wines at Nelson's Trafalgar Centre.
Twenty-eight panellists were tasked with identifying the best examples of New Zealand wine, to help promote the industry to importers overseas.
While the tasting zone was a place of quiet concentration, behind the scenes was a bustle of activity, with rows of numbered bottles of wine sitting next to tables of gleaming glasses – 2500 were shipped down from Auckland for the New Zealand Winegrowers event.
Wine Nelson chairperson Paul Miles said it was a great opportunity for the Nelson wine community to come together and support the national industry.
“We love to get together, we like being involved ... it’s good to play our part in getting the New Zealand message out internationally.”