Contestants felt it increased their winemaking skills, knowledge and confidence as well as building important contacts for their future careers. 

NZ Young Winemaker of the Year, which complements NZ Young Viticulturist of the Year, follows a similar format. Contestants need to complete a range of questions both practical and theoretical testing them on the huge range of skills and knowledge involved in the winemaking process. Regional competitions are held and the winners from these go through to compete at the National Final, which is held in conjunction with Bragato in August.

The competition is an excellent forum to help discover and develop talented young winemakers for New Zealand’s future. This should help ensure that the international love and respect for NZ’s high quality and diverse range of wines continues to grow for many years to come.

The Tonnellerie de Mercurey NZ Young Winemaker of the Year 2015 was Lauren Swift from Ash Ridge Wines.

Dates for this year’s competition are:

• Hawke’s Bay: 1 July 2016 at EIT
• Marlborough: 8 July 2016 at MRC
• Central Otago: tbc
• National Final: w/c 22 August in conjunction with Bragato, Marlborough.

For more information about entering, supporting or sponsoring, please contact: Sophie Matthews, Chair, via e-mail, or 021 081 81454