The education programme was developed by New Zealand Winegrowers and New Zealand Trade & Enterprise in response to a growing demand for information about New Zealand wine from consumers across China. 

“This certificate has been several years in the making. We are working with New Zealand based Master of Wine, Jane Skilton, and her team at the New Zealand School of Wines & Spirits, whose experience will prove invaluable,” said Chris Yorke, Global Marketing Director at New Zealand Winegrowers. “Education plays a huge part in our marketing strategy for China, and the launch of a programme specially tailored for consumers will help raise awareness and appreciation of our premium wines in a growing market.”

Chinese consumers’ thirst for knowledge about New Zealand wine has grown, with a Mandarin-language website launched in late 2014 and social media channels Weibo and Wechat proving popular. Since the signing of the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in 2008, New Zealand’s wine exports to China have increased dramatically – from NZ $2.1m in 2007 to NZ $27.1m in 2015.