While New Zealand's vast 41,000-hectare vineyard landscape is still dominated by the iconic 18,200 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc, a closer look at the 2023 data reveals a dynamic industry confidently maturing beyond its most famous export, with Pinot Noir on the rise, sustainability nearly universal, and premium exports driving a record $2.2 billion in global sales.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, New Zealand's total wine vineyard area reached 41,000 hectares, a 1.5% increase from 2022
- Marlborough region accounted for 68% of New Zealand's total vineyard plantings with 27,880 hectares in 2023
- Sauvignon Blanc plantings totaled 18,200 hectares nationwide in 2023, comprising 44% of all vineyards
- Riesling area stable at 1,100 hectares in 2023
- New Zealand produced 400 million liters of wine in 2023, up 5% from 2022
- Sauvignon Blanc crush volume was 220 million liters in 2023 vintage
- Pinot Noir production reached 75 million liters in 2023
- Total NZ wine exports reached NZ$2.2 billion in 2023, up 8% YoY
- Sauvignon Blanc exports 75% of total NZ wine export value in 2023 (NZ$1.65b)
- USA market imported NZ$600 million worth of NZ wine in 2023
- Domestic sales reached NZ$500 million in 2023, up 4%
- Off-trade retail sales 60% of domestic market (NZ$300m) in 2023
- On-trade (hospitality) NZ$200 million wine sales 2023
- Total wine industry direct GDP contribution NZ$1.7 billion in 2023
- Wine sector employed 35,000 full-time equivalents in 2023
New Zealand's wine industry continues thriving through significant growth and quality exports.
Domestic Market and Consumption
- Domestic sales reached NZ$500 million in 2023, up 4%
- Off-trade retail sales 60% of domestic market (NZ$300m) in 2023
- On-trade (hospitality) NZ$200 million wine sales 2023
- Per capita wine consumption 22 liters in 2023
- Sauvignon Blanc 50% domestic consumption share 2023
- Total domestic volume 100 million liters in 2023
- Supermarket wine sales grew 6% value to NZ$250m 2023
- Premium domestic wines (>NZ$20) 40% sales value 2023
- Pinot Noir domestic popularity rose to 20% share 2023
- Wine tourism visitors 1.2 million in 2023
- Cellar door sales NZ$120 million in 2023
- NZ wine exports to domestic ratio 2:1 volume 2023
- Low/no alcohol wine sales up 25% to 2m liters 2023
- Organic wine domestic sales 15% market share value 2023
- Auckland region highest consumption 40% national total 2023
- Wine in total alcohol beverage share 35% volume 2023
- Direct-to-consumer e-commerce sales NZ$50m 2023
- Hospitality wine by the glass 30% on-trade sales 2023
- Female consumers 55% NZ wine drinkers 2023 survey
- Millennial consumption 25-34 age group 30% volume 2023
- Regional NZ consumption 15 liters/capita vs urban 25L 2023
- Sparkling wine domestic sales 12m liters 2023
- Rosé popularity up 18% sales volume 2023
- Wine clubs membership 150,000 members contributing NZ$80m 2023
Domestic Market and Consumption Interpretation
New Zealanders are clearly enamored with their own wine, as domestic sales bubbled to $500 million in 2023, proving that while the world loves their Sauvignon Blanc, locals are also happily exploring a richer domestic scene—from the steady rise of Pinot Noir and premium bottles to a surprising thirst for low-alcohol options, all while nearly half the country's wine is guzzled in Auckland alone.
Economic Contribution and Employment
- Total wine industry direct GDP contribution NZ$1.7 billion in 2023
- Wine sector employed 35,000 full-time equivalents in 2023
- Exports supported 12,000 jobs in 2023
- Tourism from wine added NZ$1 billion to economy 2023
- Average winery wage NZ$65,000 annually in 2023
- 1,300 wineries operating in NZ as of 2023
- Vineyard employment 15,000 seasonal workers 2023 harvest
- Wine industry tax revenue NZ$400 million to govt in 2023
- Multiplier effect of wine GDP 2.5x direct contribution 2023
- Marlborough wine GDP NZ$1.2b regional total 2023
- Hawke's Bay wine sector 8,000 jobs 2023
- Central Otago wine tourism NZ$250m annual 2023
- R&D investment in wine NZ$20 million public-private 2023
- Wine exports 3% of total NZ goods exports value 2023
- Female employment 45% in wine industry 2023
- Maori-owned vineyards contribute NZ$50m GDP 2023
- Winery investment capex NZ$150m in 2023
- Supply chain spend NZ$800m by industry 2023
- Apprenticeships in viticulture 500 new in 2023
- Wine sector productivity NZ$48,000 per FTE 2023
- International students wine tourism courses 2,000 in 2023
- Carbon footprint reduction 20% since 2010 to 2023
- Brand value of NZ wine estimated NZ$5 billion globally 2023
- Regional GDP share: wine 15% in key areas like Marlborough 2023
- Total household income from wine NZ$2.1b 2023
Economic Contribution and Employment Interpretation
New Zealand wine is clearly not just swirling in a glass; with a $1.7 billion direct GDP punch, it’s the spirited engine of regional economies, pouring life into 35,000 jobs, a billion from wine tourists, and even a healthy tax revenue chaser for the government.
Export Values and Volumes
- Total NZ wine exports reached NZ$2.2 billion in 2023, up 8% YoY
- Sauvignon Blanc exports 75% of total NZ wine export value in 2023 (NZ$1.65b)
- USA market imported NZ$600 million worth of NZ wine in 2023
- UK exports NZ$450 million in 2023, Sauvignon Blanc dominant
- Australia took NZ$250 million NZ wine exports in 2023
- Export volume totaled 193 million liters in 2023
- Average export price per liter NZ$11.40 in 2023
- Europe (ex-UK) NZ$300 million exports 2023
- Asia-Pacific markets NZ$200 million in 2023, growth 12%
- Canada imported NZ$120 million NZ wine 2023
- Sauvignon Blanc exported 145 million liters in 2023
- Pinot Noir export value NZ$400 million in 2023
- Bulk wine exports declined to 10 million liters in 2023
- Bottled wine exports 90% of volume, 174m liters 2023
- USA Sauvignon Blanc imports from NZ up 15% to 25m cases 2023
- UK off-trade sales NZ wine NZ$300m in 2023
- China exports recovered to NZ$80m in 2023 post-tariffs
- Average bottle price exported to USA NZ$20 in 2023
- NZ wine share of UK imports 15% in 2023
- Export growth to Netherlands 20% value in 2023, NZ$50m
- Pinot Noir to USA NZ$250m in 2023
- Sustainable certified exports 70% of total value 2023
- Premium export segment (>NZ$25) 55% value 2023
- Japan imports NZ$40m NZ wine 2023
- Export to Germany NZ$60m up 10% 2023
- Total export markets numbered 120 countries in 2023
- NZ wine export FOB value per liter highest globally at NZ$11.40 2023
- Sauvignon Blanc to Australia 12m liters 2023
Export Values and Volumes Interpretation
Despite Sauvignon Blanc's staggering monopoly, the New Zealand wine industry has cleverly cultivated a premium, globally respected identity, as evidenced by its world-leading bottle prices and a diversification into sustainable, high-value Pinot Noir that ensures the whole enterprise doesn't rest on the shoulders of a single, wildly popular grape.
Production Volumes
- New Zealand produced 400 million liters of wine in 2023, up 5% from 2022
- Sauvignon Blanc crush volume was 220 million liters in 2023 vintage
- Pinot Noir production reached 75 million liters in 2023
- Chardonnay crush totaled 50 million liters in 2023, down 2%
- Marlborough vintage yield averaged 12.5 tonnes/ha for Sauvignon Blanc in 2023
- Hawke's Bay produced 45 million liters in 2023, reds dominant
- Central Otago Pinot Noir yield 8.5 tonnes/ha in 2023
- Total sparkling wine production 15 million liters in 2023
- Gisborne Chardonnay yield 14 tonnes/ha in 2023 vintage
- National average wine yield 10.2 tonnes/ha in 2023
- Pinot Gris production 35 million liters in 2023
- Merlot crush 20 million liters in Hawke's Bay 2023
- Syrah production nationwide 12 million liters in 2023
- Riesling yield low at 6 tonnes/ha in 2023 due to weather
- Organic wine production volume 45 million liters in 2023
- Premium wine (>NZ$25/bottle) production 60% of total volume in 2023
- Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 vintage quality rated 9.5/10, volume 230mL
- Total red wine production 150 million liters in 2023
- White wine still production 320 million liters in 2023
- Grape intake at wineries totaled 410,000 tonnes in 2023
- Central Otago low disease pressure led to 95% clean fruit in 2023
- Hawke's Bay cyclone recovery boosted yields 10% in 2023
- NZ wine production per hectare averaged 9,800 liters in 2023
- Sparkling methode traditionnelle 5m liters in 2023
- Botrytised sweet wine production 2m liters in 2023
- Nelson aromatic whites 8m liters in 2023
- Wairarapa premium Pinot 6m liters 2023
Production Volumes Interpretation
While Sauvignon Blanc remains the undeniable monarch quaffing from over half our national wine lake, a quietly confident court of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and even resilient regional reds are proving that New Zealand's true vintage is its impressive depth beyond the king.
Vineyard Area and Plantings
- In 2023, New Zealand's total wine vineyard area reached 41,000 hectares, a 1.5% increase from 2022
- Marlborough region accounted for 68% of New Zealand's total vineyard plantings with 27,880 hectares in 2023
- Sauvignon Blanc plantings totaled 18,200 hectares nationwide in 2023, comprising 44% of all vineyards
- Pinot Noir vineyard area grew to 6,800 hectares in 2023, up 2% from previous year
- Hawke's Bay had 5,200 hectares of vineyards in 2023, focusing on premium red varieties
- Central Otago's vineyard area stood at 2,100 hectares in 2023, known for Pinot Noir
- Gisborne region planted 1,300 hectares in 2023, primarily Chardonnay and Pinot Gris
- Nelson vineyards covered 450 hectares in 2023, with aromatic whites dominant
- Northland's 120 hectares in 2023 emphasized Chardonnay and Syrah plantings
- Wairarapa (Martinborough) had 1,000 hectares in 2023, specializing in Pinot Noir
- Bay of Plenty vineyards totaled 50 hectares in 2023, experimental varieties
- Waipara (North Canterbury) expanded to 800 hectares in 2023, Pinot Noir focus
- Organic vineyard certification covered 12% of total area (4,920 ha) in 2023
- Sustainable winegrowing practices applied to 95% of NZ vineyards (39,000 ha) in 2023
- New vineyard plantings added 600 hectares in 2023, mainly in Marlborough
- Chardonnay plantings declined to 4,200 hectares in 2023, down 3% YoY
- Pinot Gris area reached 2,500 hectares in 2023, steady growth
- Merlot vineyards totaled 1,800 hectares in 2023, mostly Hawke's Bay
- Syrah plantings grew to 900 hectares in 2023, up 5%
- Gewürztraminer plantings at 300 hectares in 2023, niche variety
- Average vine age across NZ vineyards was 15 years in 2023
- Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc density averaged 2,800 vines/ha in 2023
- Central Otago Pinot Noir yields targeted 35-40 hl/ha in 2023 plantings
- Total certified organic conversions added 200 ha in 2023
- Hawke's Bay Bordeaux blends plantings 1,200 ha in 2023
- Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 150 ha in 2023
- Wairarapa Pinot Noir 550 ha in 2023
- Gisborne Chardonnay 600 ha decline in 2023
- NZ total vineyard area per capita 7.5 ha per 1,000 people in 2023
Vineyard Area and Plantings Interpretation
Despite New Zealand's wine industry dressing nearly every hillside in sustainable Sauvignon Blanc, its true character is a patchwork of fiercely independent regions where Pinot Noir passion, organic ambition, and experimental zeal stubbornly persist in the shadow of a Marlborough monolith.
Vineyard Area and Plants
- Riesling area stable at 1,100 hectares in 2023
Vineyard Area and Plants Interpretation
The noble Riesling seems content with its kingdom, holding a steady 1,100 hectares of New Zealand soil, perhaps wisely observing the frantic expansion of its bolder cousins from a position of elegant, unchanging grace.
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