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New Zealand to hold first international conference celebrating Sauvignon Blanc in 2016

Published:  22 January, 2015

New Zealand is launching an international conference celebrating its flagship grape variety - Sauvignon Blanc - which will take place in Marlborough in February 2016.

New Zealand is launching an international conference celebrating its flagship grape variety - Sauvignon Blanc - which will take place in Marlborough in February 2016.

Organisers were quick to point out that the inaugural International Sauvignon Blanc Celebration will not only be restricted to New Zealand growers, but takes in producers and key proponents of the variety from elsewhere in the world.

Those attending this week's annual New Zealand Trade tasting in the UK were the first to hear of the event.

"We have been talking about it for years. We felt that with the importance of Sauvignon Blanc as a variety for New Zealand it was well overdue to hold such an event. The time is just right," said Patrick Materman, chief winemaker for Pernod Ricard New Zealand and the head of the committee organising the ISBC.

Sauvignon Blanc has been growing in popularity across the globe and the celebration is an effort to ensure that the growth of the variety continues.

"Sauvignon Blanc has grown enormously and we want to make sure it stays there. The diversity of style and the New Zealand wine industry has matured quite a bit in the past decade. There are some very interesting styles that appeal to a lot more people as well," said Materman.

Despite being hosted in Marlborough the event will not be just about Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Materman wanted to ensure that there be an international component to the fair, which has taken time to organise.

Materman said: "It has taken a fair bit of time getting the right committee together. We wanted to make sure it wasn't just focused on Marlborough. We want to bring in people from across the New Zealand wine industry and beyond that it is an in international celebration- so it not just about New Zealand."

The celebration will have a programme of speakers over two days that will include producers, growers, media and PR speakers as well as viticulturist and oenologists.

Materman said: "I am enormously passionate about Sauvignon Blanc and the popularity and the momentum behind the variety and the industry has been incredible. It is very dear to my heart and I am very proud of that and I want to be a part of that as well."

Phlilip Gregan, chief executive of New Zealand Winegrowers, said preparation for the 2016 event is a major priority for NZWG this coming year.

"We are really excited about ISBC and it is going to be a big event for us. We will also be doing something similar in 2017 for Pinot Noir.  Those are two big events for us that will be a major focus for us over the next 12 months," said Gregan.

The International Sauvignon Blanc Celebration 2016 has not yet officially launched, but there are several marketing events coming up. The first will be held on International Sauvignon Blanc Day on April 24, where people participating in a Twitter competition will be entered to win a trip to attend the conference in New Zealand.

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