The trade body for New Zealand wine is platforming white wine this May to coincide with International Sauvignon Blanc Day (May 5), International Pinot Gris Day (May 17) and International Chardonnay Day (May 25). 

May represents New Zealand Winegrowers’ ‘Pour Yourself a Glass of New Zealand’ month, and this year, the annual campaign is focusing on the country’s white wine varietals.

Charlotte Read, general manager for New Zealand Winegrowers, explained why the trade body is choosing to highlight white wine this May: “New Zealand white wine makes up 93% of our global exports, and while Sauvignon Blanc represents 86% of our exports, New Zealand also produces other world-class white wine varieties such as Pinot Gris and Chardonnay.”

Read also said that New Zealand’s climate is ideal for producing “fresh, delicate white wines” with natural acidity.

Elsewhere, New Zealand Winegrowers is continuing its campaign to secure a white wine emoji, which began in May last year. 

While the initial request for the emoji was denied by the Unicode Consortium, New Zealand wine has confirmed that it will make another request in 2024.