Punting on the Avon, Christchurch - Courtesy of Christchurch Canterbury Tourism.
Punting on the Avon, Christchurch - Courtesy of Christchurch Canterbury Tourism.
Top of a Vineyard, Kaikoura - Courtesy of Kaikoura District Council.
Vineyard, Central Otago - Courtesy of Central Otago Pinot Noir Limited.
Aoraki - Mt Cook, Canterbury - Courtesy of Christchurch Canterbury Tourism.
Couple in Vineyard, Nelson - Courtesy of Nelson Wine Art.
Vineyard in Autumn, Marlborough - Courtesy of Destination Marlborough.

Great Wine Capitals Network

The Great Wine Capitals Global Network was founded in Bordeaux ten years ago with a goal of bringing together the world's most prestigious wine regions to enhance their economic, education, and tourism projects.

Until last year, there were eight members: Bilbao/Rioja, Spain; Bordeaux, France; Cape Town, South Africa; Florence, Italy; Mainz, Germany; Mendoza, Argentina; Porto, Portugal and San Francisco | Napa Valley, USA.

In November 2009, following an evaluation process and visit by a network jury, New Zealand's five southern wine regions, coordinated by Christchurch, were thrilled to be accepted as the network's ninth member.

The network will provide us with an international platform to promote New Zealand's world-class wine. At a local level, it is an additional tool for our South Island wine regions to market their products and improve sales, which ultimately improves Christchurch's economy and regional economic development across the whole of the South Island.

Christchurch also has the opportunity to promote New Zealand's expertise and innovation through the network's business and investment programme and education programme. Members can showcase the capability and innovation of their own industry and are able to attract investment from other networks in return.

We want to utilise the network to promote Christchurch and the South Island as a world-class tourism destination. The network runs annual International Best of Wine Tourism Awards, which Christchurch and the South Island wine regions are now eligible to enter.

South Island wines and tourism destinations are already being marketed with great success overseas, but there are real benefits in working together across the regions to produce even better results. The network offers access to eight other significant economies that are interested in tourism, wine science, wine tourism and wine in general – and we want to take full advantage of this.

Members of the network engage in sub activities, including: running international Best Of Wine Tourism Awards, funding annual international student grants and maintaining a growing database of international wine writers and connoisseurs.