Even though this is a challenging season and has yielded a smaller harvest than last year, New Zealand Winegrowers is optimistic about the export potential for the 2023 vintage.
Despite only producing 1 per cent of the world’s wine, New Zealand is now the world’s sixth largest wine exporter by value. With strong export growth an increasing international demand for New Zealand wine, the total value of the New Zealand wine industry exports this year was $2.4 billion, up 25 per cent on 2022.
“Reaching another new record level of wine exports into some of the world’s largest and most competitive markets is an outstanding achievement for New Zealand wine exporters, and testifies to the increasingly strong global demand for our wines,” said Philip Gregan, CEO of New Zealand Winegrowers.
As its fifth largest export good, wine is important to New Zealand’s national economy. Nationally, harvest was down 6 per cent compared to 2022’s record level vintage, with 501,000 tonnes of grapes harvested. The South Island had an impressive year due to preferable growing conditions, but the North Island experienced difficult wet weather conditions. Even so, producers were happy overall with the quality of the harvest.
“Regions across the North Island were hit hard by the unprecedented wet weather throughout summer, but their incredible hard work and commitment to producing premium quality wines means that consumers will continue to enjoy the distinctive wines that they know and love. Hawke’s Bay’s recent inclusion as one of just 12 Great Wine Capitals of the world is of regional and national significance, and shows that while New Zealand’s wine growing industry is still young, we offer quality to rival the world’s oldest,” Gregan continued.
Amid surging production costs and a shortage of skilled labour, this year’s vintage puts the New Zealand industry in good stead. There has also been a promising increase in international wine tourism to the country, which is recovering after the COVID period.
“People are starting to feel more comfortable traveling internationally, and we are once again welcoming tourists to New Zealand’s shores with open arms,” Gregan concluded.