Celebrate Sauvignon Blanc on May 16

Media Release 28 April 2014

Celebrate Sauvignon Blanc on May 16

There's no doubt about it, Sauvignon Blanc is special. It is the varietal that awoke the world to New Zealand wine and continues to dazzle wine critics across the world. Accounting for 85% of wine exported from New Zealand, the world seems to have an insatiable thirst for Sauvignon Blanc's crisp acidity and unmistakable 'zing'.

May 16 2014 marks the fifth annual International Sauvignon Blanc Day – an online initiative that started in California with St Supery Winery as a global social media wine tasting. The event gets bigger every year and New Zealand Winegrowers is now involved to ensure New Zealand wine is well represented.

Celebrations kick off in New Zealand, the home of Sauvignon Blanc, and make their way around the globe. Appreciation and admiration of the grape follows the sun with Sauvignon Blanc lunches, tastings and events taking place in Melbourne, Hong Kong, London, and Toronto, finishing 43 hours later at Twitter Headquarters in San Francisco. Restaurants, retailers and consumers - along with global wine brands - will be celebrating Sauvignon Blanc for the day and participating in the Twitter conversation by using the "hashtag" #SauvBlanc.

"A huge number of wine consumers are active on social media and events such as Sauvignon Blanc Day provide great opportunities to raise awareness of New Zealand wine globally" said New Zealand Winegrowers Global Marketing Director Chris Yorke. "Anyone can join the celebration by enjoying a glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc on May 16 and telling the world how good it is."

Sauvignon Blanc is the most popular variety in the UK off-trade and New Zealand holds a 39% share of the UK's Sauvignon Blanc market. Two out of three bottles of Sauvignon Blanc purchased in Australia is from New Zealand and the kiwis have a 29% share of the US Sauvignon Blanc market. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc exports are worth $1 billion annually.

-ENDS-

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