Hawke’s Bay on the eastern coast of New Zealand’s North Island has been crowned Great Wine Capital of the World by the global network, Great Wine Capitals, a recognition that has been dished out to only 12 cities globally.
It now shares the accolade with Australia’s Adelaide, South Africa’s Cape Town, Argentina’s Mendoza, Chile’s Valparaiso, Spain’s Bilbao, Switzerland’s Lausanne, Portugal’s Porto, Italy’s Verona, France’s Bordeaux, Germany’s Mainz-Rheinhessen, and the US’ Napa Valley.
Hamish Saxton, CEO of Hawke’s Bay Tourism and Hawke’s Bay Business Events, said the recognition bodes well for the region’s business events industry, as the strength of the local wine industry will attract many wine-related business gatherings and trade exchanges.
He added that the title bolsters New Zealand’s positioning of Hawke’s Bay as the country’s premium food and wine region.
“Despite the challenges presented by Cyclone Gabrielle (which made landfall in February 2023), Hawke’s Bay’s wine industry is still gold standard and its addition as the 12th Great Wine Capital of the World will be crucial in the economic recovery of the wine industry and the wider region,” said Saxton, adding that cyclone damages to key urban areas in Hawke’s Bay are no longer perceptible.
Saxton, who led the region’s presence at the recent Business Events Industry Aotearoa MEETINGS 2023 tradeshow, said the “food and wine theme will always be appealing to meetings and incentive events, especially when we have many premium dining experiences and accommodation on offer”. Along with the ease of access around Hawke’s Bay, the destination enjoyed good interest from show buyers.
“We had written business for Hawke’s Bay at the show,” revealed Saxton.
“We will be pitching for food and wine association annual general meetings now with this new title,” he told TTGmice.
He said Hawke’s Bay also attracts many agricultural industry meetings, as several major food producers are located in the region. However, he was unable to identify the scale of such gatherings, as most are not organised through Hawke’s Bay Business Events, but managed directly by the companies.
Tū Te Ihi begins with Ahi Taitai fire ceremony, followed by unique ritual and canapes shared beneath the native Tawa forest canopy. A thrilling Māori performance follows before guests are welcomed into the beautifully styled wharekai (dining room in a traditional Maori settlement). A four-course degustation feast follows, featuring artisan New Zealand produce, meats and seafood that are prepared by a fusion of techniques including traditional dried, smoking, and preserving methods, flame grilled and slow cooking.
Oddmund Braaten is the CEO of Interprefy. Previously the COO and a board member, Braaten has been leading Interprefy’s commercial and operational success for five years.
