WinePro NZ 2026 Conference Schedule
Tuesday June 23
10am - WinePro NZ Exhibition opens
Session 1: 11am - 12pm
Room 1
MPI – Double Export Value – Closing the Gap to 2034
Presented by
Terry Copeland – Programme Director Export Growth, MPI
New Zealand’s primary sector is a cornerstone of the export economy, and the wine industry stands out as one of its most globally recognized success stories. Presented by Terry Copeland, Programme Director Export Growth at MPI, this session will explore how broader export growth trends and forecasts are shaping the outlook for primary producers in the wine industry and how MPI is working to support the Primary Industry sectors achieve their goals. Terry has significant experience across the wine industry having previously held many senior roles and in other primary sector organisations such as Federated Farmers and Young Farmers.
Session 2: 1pm - 2pm
Room 1
Dealing with the Now
Presented by
Ormond Nurseries – Sam and Marcus Wickham
RMA Consultant – Ed Chapman Cohen
Rose AG – Tim Rose
Dealing with the Now is a hands-on working session focused on the immediate, practical decisions facing growers and vineyard businesses today.
This session concentrates on “what can be done now” by bringing together three grounded viewpoints:
• Planting decisions from a commercial nursery perspective
• Regulatory realities from an RMA consultant
• Exit or reconfiguration strategies from a vineyard removal specialist
The session is designed to give attendees clarity, direction, and confidence to act in the current environment.
Room 2
From Process to Performance:
Improving Efficiency and Quality Together
Presented by
Vintech Pacific, with Dr Aaron Low from Amaea
Co-presented with
Dean Boyce – Winemaker Indevin,
Jane de Witt – Head Winemaker North Island LION
Christian Kuun – South Island Manager Vintec
This session explores how targeted process innovation can simultaneously deliver efficiency gains and measurable quality improvements in wine production.
Using Amaea’s new cold stabilisation process and earlier work with MIPS filtration technology as case studies, the session demonstrates how re‑thinking established operations can unlock performance improvements without compromising wine style or integrity.
Session 3: 3pm - 4pm
Room 1
New Product and Taste Development
in Beer, Wine and Adjacent Products
Presented by
Dr Peter Bircham, Head of Research and Development – Garage Project
Dr Amanda Dupas de Matos, Senior Research Officer – Food Experience and Sensory Testing, Feast Lab
This workshop will explore how beverage R&D is evolving in response to changing consumer preferences, particularly around flavour, format, and occasion.
With a focus on novel beverages and new product development, the session will highlight an area that has seen significant innovation in beer and alternative beverages, but remains relatively underexplored in wine.
A mix of technical and practical, the workshop will offer insights into how new beverage concepts are developed, from identifying consumer trends through to experimentation and launch while acknowledging the different production cycles and constraints across categories.
Room 2
Shared Knowledge, Shared Future:
Is Collaboration Still at the Heart of the Wine Industry?
Presented by
Jane Hunter, Hunter’s Wines
Lan Zhang, Vinarchy
Nigel Sowman, Dog Point Wines
This session brings together two early pioneers and two emerging leaders under 30 to explore how collaboration has shaped the wine industry – both in its formative years and in today’s rapidly changing environment.
Through shared stories and contrasting perspectives, the panel examines whether collaboration remains a defining strength of the industry, and how it must evolve to stay relevant for the next generation.
Wednesday June 24
10am - WinePro NZ Exhibition opens
Session 1: 11am - 12pm
Room 1
Do you really know your vineyard numbers –
and the forces shaping them?
Presented by
John Wilson, JPEW
Mike Insley, GrapeSense
Marlborough grape growers are navigating a challenging operating environment, with rising input costs and shifting market dynamics putting sustained pressure on profitability.
In this session, John Wilson (JPEW) will set the scene, explaining why the industry is experiencing current conditions. Drawing on Marlborough wine industry trends and market forecasts, he will outline the key drivers affecting grape demand, pricing, and the likely timeframe for recovery.
Building on this context, Mike Insley (GrapeSense) will examine the on‑vineyard impact. Using current industry insights and referencing the 2025 MPI Marlborough Wine Industry Benchmarking analysis, Mike will comment on the real drivers of vineyard cost, how growers can stay on top of their numbers, and what today’s market realities mean for vineyard profitability.
Room 2
Getting to Market vs. Getting Bought
Presented by
Rod Smith, MD Engagement Group
Morven McAuley, Tradecraft
Getting wine into market doesn’t guarantee it will sell. This session brings together a merchandiser, a label design company, and a distribution expert to talk through what really influences buying decisions at the point of sale. From shelf layout and packaging to ranging and distribution realities, the discussion focuses on the practical things that help a product stand out, get noticed, and get bought.
Session 2: 1pm - 2pm
Room 1
Reducing Diesel & Labour:
Powering a Smarter Vineyard
Presented by
Tim Curr, Business Development & Product Support Manager – TRS Wholesale Limited
Garry Peek, Founder and Director – Peek Robotics
Rising fuel costs, labour shortages, sustainability pressures, and tighter spray windows are forcing vineyards to rethink how critical work gets done.
This session shares learnings from real‑world use of the world’s first commercially available fully electric sprayers for vineyard and orchard use, highlighting where genuine efficiency gains are being made — including reduced diesel use, lower spray waste, and decreased labour and admin demands. It also tackles the realities of wider adoption, such as equipment compatibility, charging infrastructure, and managing change in busy vineyard operations.
Focused on practical outcomes rather than theory, this session hosted by TRS Wholesale Limited and Peek Robotics offers growers and wine companies a balanced view of what’s working, what still needs solving, and how technology can progressively support more efficient and resilient vineyard businesses.
Room 2
Margin Analysis:
How Do I Know I am Selling my Product for
the Maximum Value Possible?
Presented by
John Wilson, JPEW
Pricing decisions sit at the heart of wine business performance, yet many brands lack clear insight into how price movements truly affect volume and margin.
In this session, John Wilson (JPEW) will use real wine market sales and pricing data to examine what happens when brands move up or down pricing tiers.
John will explore the relationship between price, volume, and margin, highlighting where value is gained, where it is lost, and why some pricing changes succeed while others erode returns.
This data‑driven session will challenge assumptions around price sensitivity and provide practical insight into how to strike the right balance between price and volume – maximising the value of every bottle sold.
Session 3: 3pm - 4pm
Room 1
Your Customer’s have Changed:
Has your Digital Strategy?
Presented by
Morven McAuley, Strategist – Tradecraft
Today’s customers don’t behave the way they did even three years ago. They discover brands differently, make decisions differently, and expect experiences that feel personal, immediate, and effortless. In this fast‑shifting landscape, relying on old marketing playbooks means being left behind.
In this session, Morven McAuley reveals how digital tools, data, and smarter customer engagement can help wine brands stay visible, relevant, and connected. From targeting to storytelling to conversion, you’ll learn what actually works now and how to evolve your strategy to meet customers where they are, not where they used to be.
A wake‑up call for anyone serious about growth.
Room 2
Shifting Climates: What the Science Means for Growers
Presented by
Dr Damien Martin – BSI
Pete Taylor – Auxein
The research is in. Climate is shifting, phenology is moving, and the varieties and regions that define New Zealand wine today may not define it tomorrow.
This session translates the science – ecoclimatic indices, sub-regional climate variation, long-run projections, and strategic risk – into the decisions growers are facing right now.
Thursday June 25
10am - WinePro NZ Exhibition opens
Session 1: 11am - 12pm
Room 1
Panel Session
The Vineyard Property Market: Where To From Here?
Presented by
Mike Poff – Property Brokers
Hadley Hayward, Alexander Hayward Property Valuers and Advisors
Stu Dudley, Endpoint Viticulture
Hosted by three local experts—a sales specialist, a valuer, and a viticulturist—this session delivers a practical, forward-looking view of the vineyard property market. With a strong focus on preparing your asset for the future, the panel will highlight emerging opportunities, evolving buyer expectations, and the factors that can strengthen long-term value.
Explore how vineyard performance and strategic improvements can position your property for resilience and growth. Attendees will walk away with clear, actionable insights on enhancing appeal, managing risk, and making confident decisions in a changing market ensuring their vineyard asset is not just protected, but primed for what’s ahead..
Room 2
Electrification: What’s Possible
and Where to Start?
Presented by
Andree Piddington – Yealands, Nick Entwistle – Rose Family Estate, Ben Glover – Brawn Vineyards & The Coterie, Josh Barcley – Whitehaven.
Liz Webb – Moderator
Electrification is becoming a bigger part of the conversation across the wine sector, but for many businesses the question is still a practical one: is it only realistic for larger wineries, or are there real opportunities for others as well?
This Circular Wine-led panel along with Electrify Marlborough will bring together wine businesses who have started this work, alongside expertise from the power sector.
The discussion will look at what electrification can involve in practice, what is already being trialled or adopted, the barriers businesses may face, and how to start identifying opportunities that make sense in their own context.
Session 2: 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Room 1
Strategy, Structure, and Scale:
The Zespri Experience
Presented by
Dave Scullin, Chief Digital Officer – Zespri Limited
In this session, Dave Scullin (Zespri) reflects on what has worked well in Zespri’s business and how the organisation has built scale and resilience over time.
He will outline the direction of Zespri’s 2035 strategy, including how its structure and operating model continue to support global market performance.
The session will also look at how AI, data, and other emerging disruptors are changing the way Zespri plans, manages supply and demand, and makes decisions across the business.
Room 2
Are we Shipping Away Margin by Bottling Offshore?
Presented by
Peter Crowe – WineWorks
Jaron McLeod – QuayConnect
Matt Mitchell – Marisco Vineyards
More information coming soon.
Closing Session
2:30pm - 3:30pm
Session Name & Information Coming Soon
Presented by
Speaker Information Coming Soon
Session Information Coming Soon