25 May 2018
Place, Purity and Pursuit will be the themes woven into the three-day International Sauvignon Blanc Celebration to take
place in Marlborough during January 2019.
A selection of the world’s top wine and lifestyle influencers will journey to New Zealand to hear from the people who
grow, sell and make Sauvignon Blanc, our most popular varietal.
And the buzz created by the event is likely to surpass Sauvignon 2016, which saw New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and #nzwine
appear on 56 million social media feeds.
This brings unsurpassed global attention to NZ wine and Sauvignon Blanc, all adding to the industry’s goal of reaching
$2 billion worth of annual wine exports by 2020.
Chairman of the International Sauvignon Blanc Celebration committee Patrick Materman says Sauvignon 2019 will leverage
off the fantastic feedback from the inaugural event in 2016 and will proudly share the Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc story on a
global stage.
“Speakers will challenge theories and perceptions on everything from winemaking secrets to future proofing and stylistic
preferences of Sauvignon Blanc.”
There will be over 400 guests in total at Sauvignon 2019, including local and international wine producers, key decision
makers from the local and international food and beverage sectors, and wine enthusiasts from key export markets and
countries.
Day 1 of the celebration will take place on Monday 28 January and will focus on New Zealand’s “Place” in the world; Day
2 will centre around “Purity”, exploring topics such as climate, sustainability and flavour; and finally, Day 3 is
themed “Pursuit”, looking at what we can pursue domestically and globally, and how as we move into the future.
An impressive culinary extravaganza is also planned over the three days, with a stunning garden party near the sea at
Awatere Valley including a traditional Maori powhiri and Kiwiana theme on Day 1, a mountainside gala dinner featuring
The World of WearableArt on Day 2 and the ultimate finale evening near the river where New Zealand’s “wild” side will be
showcased on Day 3.
And in keeping with the international theme, six other top Sauvignon Blanc producing countries will be invited to offer
tastings of their own distinctive wines. Countries currently being considered are Australia, Austria, Chile, France,
South Africa and the USA.
ends