NEW New Zealand – Through the Lens of Smaller and Rarer Plantings – 1 February

Time: 8 am PST, 11 am EST, 4 pm GMT

Stephen Wong MW will present what puts the NEW in New Zealand! He’ll do this through the lens of smaller and rarer plantings in our country but will also cover biodynamics, single vineyard and subregional expression, winegrowing in undiscovered (and rather difficult) regions, as well as conversations around style and winemaking approaches, from Pét Nat to sulphur free to chilled reds.

Chiming in from around the country via pre-recorded video will be

Jules Taylor – Winemaker & Owner, Jules Taylor Wines – Marlborough
Annie Millton – Founder, Millton Vineyards & Winery – Gisborne
Jessica Bell – Global Fine Wine Brand Manager, Villa Maria Estate – Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne, Auckland
Nicholas Brown – Winemaker & Co-Owner, Black Estate – North Canterbury
Dave Sutton – Winemaker, Te Kano Estate – Central Otago & Waitaki Valley
Daniel Brennan – Winemaker & Owner, Decibel Wines – Hawke’s Bay & Wairarapa

To help tell the story of NEW New Zealand, Stephen will discuss the following wines

Jules Taylor Grüner Veltliner 2022, Marlborough
Millton Riverpoint Viognier 2020, Gisborne
Villa Maria Reserve Albariño 2022, Hawke’s Bay
Black Estate Home Chenin Blanc 2021, North Canterbury
Te Kano Estate Cabernet Franc 2021, Central Otago
Decibel Malbec 2020, Hawke’s Bay

Speaker Profiles

Stephen Wong MW

Malaysian-born Chinese, Stephen Wong MW moved from Borneo to Singapore and finally to New Zealand to read Law. After completing his Barrister exams, he worked as a sommelier before moving into consulting.

Stephen sits on the IMW's Education Committee and is co-chair of their Diversity, Inclusion, and Transformation Committee. His hospitality support and education co-operative, Wine Sentience, hosts classes, and events for industry and the public. At the start of the pandemic, Stephen co-founded Stompy, a tech startup in California built around a proprietary taste and palate identification algorithm.

Stephen also lectures, writes, speaks, judges, and provides advice for wineries and generic wine bodies. He is also the New Zealand Ambassador for Germany's VDP Estates and provides fine wine support for French importer Maison Vauron.