Congratulations to Nick Lamain, 30, from Isabel Estate in Marlborough, who is the 2026 Tonnellerie de Mercurey Young Winemaker of the Year. Congratulations also to Kris Godsall, 24, from Cloudy Bay, Marlborough, who is the 2026 Young Viticulturist of the Year.
Following the national finals held in Martinborough during the week, the winners were announced at the New Zealand Wine 2026 Celebration Dinner at Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre on Thursday 27 August.
The Young Winemaker national finals were held on 25 August at The Runholder, and the Young Viticulturist national finals were held at Escarpment the following day.
Congratulations also to Heath Miller from Pask in Hawke's Bay, who came second in the Young Viticulturist competition, and Joshua Irving from Lincoln University in North Canterbury, who placed third. The other Young Viticulturists competing were Alex Coombs from Craggy Range in Wairarapa, and Braxton Benseman from Mt. Difficulty in Central Otago.
The other Young Winemakers were Aaron Coxhead from Coxhead Wines in Waikato/Bay of Plenty, and Joshua Irving from Lincoln University in North Canterbury. Joshua was the first-ever contestant to compete in both the Young Viticulturist and Young Winemaker national finals in the same year.
“Honestly, it still feels a little surreal. I’ve been part of this competition for the past five years, and it has challenged me, built my confidence, and played a huge role in shaping my career. To cap off that journey by taking out the national title is an incredible honour, and a moment I’ll be proud of for a very long time,” says Nick Lamain.
“It’s a lot to take in,” says Kris Godsall. “It’s a prestigious title to win, and all the hard work has paid off.”
The national finals are a big step up from the qualifying regional finals, and the competitors were tested on the wide range of skills and knowledge required to be an aspiring winemaker or viticulturist.
For the Young Winemakers, this included the Constellation Brands Laboratory Section and the Indevin Wine Judging section, both won by Nick Lamain. They also gave a presentation on how the wine industry could continue to reduce its carbon footprint. They finished by delivering their Fruitfed Supplies speeches at the New Zealand Wine 2026 Wine Business Forum at Te Papa on Thursday afternoon. Their topic was about wine tourism opportunities in their regions. This was won by Joshua Irving.
The challenges for the Young Viticulturists included machinery, an interview, a mock vineyard tour, and a leadership challenge. They also had to write a report and give a presentation on cost savings in the vineyard and preparing for a potential super El Niño. They went head-to-head in the Ecotrellis trellising section, which was won by Heath Miller, as well as the BioStart Hortisports, taken out by Kris Godsall. They finished by delivering their speeches to a large industry crowd at the New Zealand Wine 2026 Celebration Dinner.
Kris won an amazing prize package including a $6,000 Ecotrellis Travel Grant, a Leadership week, a piece of artwork and cash.
Nick Lamain also won some amazing prizes and experiences, including a trip to Burgundy to visit the Tonnellerie de Mercurey (cooperage), a piece of artwork, the opportunity to be an Associate Judge at the New World Wine Awards, and reviewing wines for Drinks Biz Magazine.
Both national winners will be heading to Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand 2027 in February and the Organic Winegrowers Conference next June.
Fruitfed Supplies is providing a field trip for all the Young Viticulturist and Winemaker national finalists, so they can continue to upskill and reconnect post-competition.
The competitions are made possible thanks to many volunteers and the generosity of sponsors.
The Young Viticulturist sponsors are: Ormond Nurseries, BioStart, Ecotrellis, Syngenta Biologicals, Fruitfed Supplies, Constellation Brands, Empak, Fendt, Indevin, Klima, Lowe, Waterforce, The New Zealand Society for Viticulture and Oenology (NZSVO), DrinksBiz and New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW).
The Young Winemaker sponsors are: Tonnellerie de Mercurey, Fruitfed Supplies, Constellation Brands, Indevin, Albatrans, FMG, Laffort, MCC Labels, Visy, Lallemand, Pacific Rim Oenology, NZSVO, New World, DrinksBiz and NZW.
-Ends-
For further information contact:
Nicky Grandorge
Leadership & Communities Manager, New Zealand Winegrowers,
+64 21 780 948
Nicky.Grandorge@nzwine.com
View the Young Winemaker website here.
View the Young Viticulturist website here.
New Zealand Winegrowers' images can be found here.
EDITOR NOTES:
NEW ZEALAND WINEGROWERS
New Zealand Winegrowers is the national organisation for the country's grape and wine sector, with over 600 grower members, 700 winery members, and directly employing over 7,000 New Zealanders each year. nzwine.com
NEW ZEALAND WINE
New Zealand wine is exported to more than 100 countries
New Zealand produces just over 1% of the world’s wine
New Zealand wine is New Zealand’s eighth-largest export good
New Zealand wine exports for 2024 were $2.1 billion
View reports and statistics here