Admission to the Great Wine Capitals programme, as the newest Capital worldwide, comes after a stringent selection process that looks at a region’s winegrowing industry, its history, its wine tourism, educational opportunities, business, and travel, as well as the cities and region itself.

The bid was led by Hawke’s Bay Tourism, on behalf of a working group that also included Hawke’s Bay Wine Growers, Hastings District Council, Napier City Council, Hawke’s Bay Airport and EIT/Te Pūkenga.

Read the full press release

Read the Q&As 

What is the Great Wine Capitals global network?

The Great Wine Capitals Global Network has 12 Member Capitals, including some of the most renowned winegrowing regions from both the old and new world wine regions.

The collective and individual strengths of each Member Capital combine to achieve further greatness within a wide range of projects in industry, tourism, education, business and travel.

Established in Bordeaux in 1999, the Great Wine Capital Global Network has shared an important mission: to sustain the health and prosperity of wine-related industries, communities and tourism in their Capitals through collaborating on a wide range of projects in industry, tourism, education, business and travel.

Sharing the story of Hawke's Bay as a Great Wine Capital

Businesses and operators within Hawke’s Bay can incorporate the Great Wine Capitals logo into their brand/company collateral and channels as appropriate.

Please consider the Great Wine Capitals Brand Guidelines (below) and let us know if you have any queries with this. Where possible, it would be great to see the GWC logo alongside Hawke’s Bay NZ logo.

Hero imagery

Great Wine Capitals logos

Great Wine Capitals brand guidelines

Key Messaging & Elevator Pitch

Wine Tourism Awards

The Best of Wine Tourism Awards are an annual international competition, designed to reward the wineries and wine tourism services in each of the Great Wine Capitals Global Network’s members for the excellence of their facilities, in seven different categories, from art and culture to sustainable wine tourism.

The contest offers seven categories for which wineries (and wine tourism services) can apply.

1. Accommodation
2. Wine Tourism Restaurants
3. Art & Culture
4. Architecture and Landscapes
5. Innovative wine tourism experiences
6. Wine tourism sustainable practices
7. Wine Tourism Services

More information

• ADELAIDE | South Australia
• BILBAO - RIOJA | Spain
• BORDEAUX | France
• CAPE TOWN - CAPE WINELANDS | South Africa
• HAWKE'S BAY | New Zealand
• LAUSANNE | Switzerland
• MAINZ - RHEINHESSEN | Germany
• MENDOZA | Argentina
• PORTO | Portugal
• SAN FRANCISCO - NAPA VALLEY | United States
• VALPARAISO - CASABLANCA VALLEY | Chile
• VERONA | Italy

Find out more: greatwinecapitals.com