Wine Growers NZ

• Business / Trading Name: New Zealand Winegrowers Incorporated (commonly known as New Zealand Winegrowers or NZW).

• Company Number: 2630971 (Incorporated Society registration number).

• NZBN: 9429043297474 (as listed on Incorporated Societies Register)

• Entity Type: Incorporated Society (industry trade association).

• Business Classification: Industry-good organisation for wine sector (nonprofit advocacy, research, marketing).

• Industry Category: Viticulture and Winemaking (grape growing and wine production).

• Year Founded: 2002 (formed March 2002 as unified winegrowers body; formally incorporated 1 July 2016).

• Addresses: Head Office: Level 4, 5–7 Kingdon Street, Newmarket, Auckland 1023, NZ. Former HQ: Level 3, 52 Symonds Street, Auckland (pre-2021). International Office: 80 Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4TE, UK.

• Website URL: https://www.nzwine.com (corporate and industry information site).

• LinkedIn URL: https://nz.linkedin.com/company/nzwine (listed as “New Zealand Wine”).

• Company Hub NZ URL: (Data Not Found – no dedicated CompanyHub profile for NZW Inc; appears only as shareholder in affiliated company entries).

• NZ Companies Office URL: https://app.businessregisters.govt.nz/sber-businesses/viewInstance/view.html?id=229a78e05307b6d8bf1b29667f00cb172368e7100d751275&_timestamp=2301226721283104

• Social Media URLs: Twitter – https://twitter.com/nzwine?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor; Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/nzwinegrowers; YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/NZWinegrowers.

• Ultimate Holding Company: None (member-owned incorporated society with no single shareholder – governed by winery and grower members).

• Key Shareholders: Not applicable (membership comprises ~850 grape growers and ~700 wineries via compulsory levies, rather than shareholding).

• Leadership: Chief Executive: Philip Gregan (CEO since 1990s). Chairperson: Fabian Yukich (elected Chair, industry executive). Deputy Chair: Emma Taylor. Board: 12 Directors (7 winery reps, 5 grower reps, reflecting merger of predecessor bodies).

• Staff: Approximately 40–50 staff (LinkedIn lists 11–50 employees) including specialists in advocacy, research, marketing, sustainability, etc. International staff in key export markets (e.g. USA, UK).

• Staff with Previous Government Roles: No senior NZW staff publicly known to be former government officials or MPs. (NZW’s long-time CEO came from within the wine industry ; no evidence of ex-Ministers or political advisors on staff – Data Not Found).

• Past Employees: Notable former figures include: Terry Dunleavy (founding CEO of the Wine Institute of NZ, 1976–1991, predecessor to NZW) ; Dr. John Barker (former General Counsel, later wine industry consultant and political candidate). Many past chairs (e.g. Steve Green, John Clarke) were veteran industry members steering NZW’s formation.

• Clients: Members (Levy Payers): All NZ grape growers and winemakers are de facto members via commodity levy – ~1,500 members (covers entire wine industry). NZW does not have external “clients” in a commercial sense; it serves its member-growers and wineries.

• Industries/Sectors Represented: New Zealand viticulture (grape growing horticulture) and winemaking (wine production and export). Also engages in related sectors like wine tourism and hospitality via marketing initiatives.

• Publicly Disclosed Engagements: Regular submissions to Parliament and Government agencies (e.g. to Select Committees on alcohol legislation, tax reviews, immigration settings, environment/climate policies). NZW appears as a witness in select committee hearings (e.g. on wine legislation) and is consulted on trade negotiations. It publishes an annual report disclosing “14 domestic submissions to Government” in 2020.

• Affiliations: Wholly owns New Zealand Winegrowers Research Centre Limited, trading as Bragato Research Institute (BRI), for industry R&D. Partner in NZW Wines Limited Partnership (a research venture for “Lighter Wines” innovation, 2014–2021). Collaborates with regional winegrower associations (all regional groups are NZW members). NZW is a member of international wine bodies like FIVS (Fédération Internationale des Vins et Spiritueux) – it held a vice-presidency in FIVS. Also a participant in the World Wine Trade Group and The Tomorrow Project’s “Cheers!” alcohol moderation initiative.

• Sponsorships / Collaborations: NZW partners with government research institutions (e.g. Plant & Food Research for viticulture projects), and universities on wine science. It secured co-funding from MBIE’s Regional Research Institutes initiative (MBIE granted NZ$12.5 million to establish BRI). NZW collaborates with Tourism NZ and NZ Trade & Enterprise on international marketing campaigns. Corporate sponsorships include Air New Zealand (former sponsor of wine awards) and Countdown supermarket (sustainability programmes) – specific sponsorship details limited (Data Not Found in public sources).

• Events (Organised by NZW): New Zealand Wine Awards (annual national wine competition) ; Pinot Noir NZ (international conference, e.g. held 2017, 2022) ; Romeo Bragato Conference (annual technical conference for growers) ; Grape Days roadshow (regional viticulture workshops) ; Sauvignon Blanc Celebration (triennial event); Young Winemaker & Young Viticulturist of the Year competitions. NZW also hosts trade tastings and networking events domestically and abroad.

• Political Donations: None disclosed. NZW Inc itself, being levy-funded, is not known to donate to political parties (such use of compulsory levy funds would be contentious). A search of NZ Electoral Commission records shows no donations from “New Zealand Winegrowers” (Data Not Found). Individual winery owners (and NZW board members) may donate in personal capacity, but no direct political contributions by NZW are recorded.

• Controversies: Lobbying Transparency: NZW’s influence largely escapes formal scrutiny due to NZ’s lack of a lobbyist register, drawing criticism that policy input happens “in the shadows” without public disclosure. Alcohol Policy Debates: Public health advocates have criticized industry bodies (including NZW) for opposing stricter alcohol laws – e.g. resisting higher excise taxes and mandatory warning labels. Corporate Welfare: NZW has been rebuked for accepting government grants – in 2024, media questioned why profitable wine companies needed NZ$5.6 million in taxpayer co-investment for vineyard innovations. Labour Practices: The wine industry’s reliance on the RSE migrant worker scheme has drawn scrutiny; NZW’s enthusiastic support for expanding RSE quotas comes amid wider concerns about worker exploitation (NZW insists the scheme “benefits both industry and Pacific workers”).

• Other Information of Note: NZW is unique globally in that membership is automatic via law – under the Commodity Levies Act and Wine Act, all growers and wineries must pay levies to NZW, making it a quasi-public authority in some functions. It manages the export certification for NZ wine under government mandate. NZW’s Sustainability programme (SWNZ) has positioned NZ as a world leader in sustainable wine production, enhancing its lobbying credibility on environmental issues. The organization has considerable institutional memory – CEO Philip Gregan marked 40 years in the industry in 2023, and has served through successive regulatory regimes since the 1980s.

• Recipient of Wage Subsidy Scheme: No direct evidence of NZW Inc claiming the COVID-19 wage subsidy. Many member wineries did use the subsidy in 2020 to retain staff, but NZW itself, funded by levies, did not publicly report any subsidy. (Its 2020 financial statements show increased government research funding but no mention of wage subsidy – Data Not Found indicating NZW did not apply for it).

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Sources

[1] New Zealand Winegrowers is the national industry body that represents New Zealand’s viticulture and winemaking sectors, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Winegrowers

[2] About Us – New Zealand Winegrowers (established in March 2002 as the unified national winegrowers body), New Zealand Wine (NZW), https://www.nzwine.com/en/about-us/

[3] New Zealand Winegrowers Incorporated was established on 1 July 2016 to take over the activities of the New Zealand Grape Growers Council Inc and the Wine Institute of New Zealand Inc, NZW 2017 Annual Report, New Zealand Wine, https://www.nzwine.com/media/6600/nzw-annual-report-2017.pdf

[4] One entity owns all company shares – New Zealand Winegrowers Incorporated – located at 1023 Newmarket, Auckland, BizDb (NZ Grape Growers Ltd business profile), https://www.bizdb.co.nz/company/9429036891115/

[5] New Zealand Winegrowers Research Centre Ltd, trading as Bragato Research Institute, is a wholly owned subsidiary of New Zealand Winegrowers Inc, Bragato Research Institute, https://bri.co.nz/new-zealand-winegrowers/

[6] New Zealand Wine – LinkedIn profile (“around 850 grower members and 700 winery members. Established in March 2002…”), LinkedIn, https://nz.linkedin.com/company/nzwine

[7] NZ Winegrowers’ Submission: Incorporated Societies Bill (background on NZW structure – constituent bodies Wine Institute of NZ Inc and NZ Grape Growers Council Inc; ~$10 million budget), MBIE Consultation Submission (2016), https://www.mbie.govt.nz/dmsdocument/3589-nz-winegrowers-submission-incorporated-societies-bill-pdf

[8] Philip Gregan’s 40 years of wine – joined Wine Institute in 1983 under Terry Dunleavy (“a one-man tour de force”) and later became Chief Executive, Rural News Group – NZ Winegrower Magazine, https://www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz/wine-grower/wg-profiles/true-believer-philip-gregan-s-40-years-of-wine

[9] Winemakers and grape growers are automatically entitled to membership of New Zealand Winegrowers through payment of levies on grape or wine sales required by law (Commodity Levies Act 1991 and Wine Act 2003), Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Winegrowers

[10] These organisations were merged in 2002 to become a single organisation, New Zealand Winegrowers, which was finally incorporated in 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Winegrowers

[11] New Zealand Winegrowers welcomes RSE scheme changes (applauds Government’s commitment to increase RSE workers to 20,750; “vital to growth of the wine industry”), FoodProcessing.com.au News, 16 Aug 2024, https://www.foodprocessing.com.au/content/processing/news/new-zealand-winegrowers-welcome-rse-scheme-changes-1612225893

[12] New Zealand’s wine sector facing mounting pressure as excise tax on alcohol is ramped up by nearly 7% (NZW: increase “will most strongly impact” NZ-only producers; NZW urging members to lobby Govt), VINEX Market, 6 June 2022, https://en.vinex.market/articles/2022/06/06/new_zealands_wine_sector_facing_mounting_pressure_as_excise_tax_on_alcohol_ramped_up_by_nearly_7

[13] FSANZ seeking labelling amendment feedback – industry application (supported by NZ Winegrowers, Brewers, Spirits bodies) to allow single-colour pregnancy warning on cardboard packaging instead of 3-colour, The Shout (AU), 10 Oct 2022, https://theshout.com.au/fsanz-seeking-labelling-amendment-feedback/

[14] NZ Winegrowers applauds Government decision to classify wine harvest as an essential industry during COVID-19 lockdown, NZ Herald (Central Otago harvest story), 26 Mar 2020, via NZ Herald (paywalled) – summary in JancisRobinson.com: “NZ wine industry was not classed as essential business initially… decision was made to prepare for emergency shutdown – but wine producers are deemed an essential service, meaning Covid-19 will not stop the 2020 vintage.” (Secondary source)

[15] Supermarkets dominate as retailers of cheap alcohol – Alcohol Healthwatch post-conference submission (citing NZ Winegrowers’ submission to Tax Working Group: “NZ wine producers have very little bargaining power with the two supermarket groups…”), Shirin Brown submission attachment, Commerce Commission Grocery Market Study (quoting NZW), 23 Nov 2021, https://comcom.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0026/274058/Shirin-Brown-Post-conference-submission-on-Market-study-into-grocery-sector-Attachment-1-23-November-2021.pdf

[16] Public Submission: New Zealand Wine – Tax Working Group (NZW advocating shifting excise off producers; “wine producers have very little bargaining power” so excise not passed to consumers, thus ineffective at curbing drinking), Tax Working Group (NZ Govt) – Information Release, 30 Apr 2018, https://taxworkinggroup.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2018-09/twg-subm-3983325-new-zealand-wine.pdf

[17] NZW Annual Report 2020 (Financials: accounts for NZW Inc and subsidiaries; notes $27.0m operating income year to June 2020, including levy income and $12.3m external research funding; expenditures include $0.34m on International Trade Advocacy, $0.74m on Domestic Trade Advocacy with “14 domestic submissions to Government”), New Zealand Wine, https://www.nzwine.com/media/17492/annual-report_2020_final_web.pdf

[18] MBIE funding details: In 2015 Bragato Research Institute received $12.5 million (ex GST) to establish a Blenheim-based research institute (and later $17.5m to transform the industry through research), MBIE – Regional Research Institutes, 2015, https://www.mbie.govt.nz

[19] NZ Winegrowers – Board governed by 12 directors (7 from Wine Institute, 5 from Grape Growers) – (historical governance structure prior to full merger), Beverage Trade Network – Wine Trade Associations (NZ), 2014, via BeverageTradeNetwork.com

[20] Corporate welfare? The Luxon government has yet to put a cork in it – and the wine industry has become a beneficiary (Govt co-investing $5.6m with NZW and vineyards for new canopy management programme; questions why profitable companies need taxpayer $), Point of Order (NZ politics blog), 30 Sep 2024, https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2024/09/30/corporate-welfare-the-luxon-government-has-yet-to-put-a-cork-in-it-and-the-wine-industry-has-become-a-beneficiary/

[21] Buzz from the Beehive – Govt backing “NextGen Viticulture” with $5.6m over 7 years in partnership with NZ Winegrowers Inc and several vineyards, expected to boost profitability by $22k/ha and add $295m to economy by 2045, Point of Order (Bob Edlin), 30 Sep 2024, https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2024/09/30/corporate-welfare-the-luxon-government-has-yet-to-put-a-cork-in-it-and-the-wine-industry-has-become-a-beneficiary/ (same as [20], detail reference)

[22] Lobbying in the shadows (“Dirty Politics 2.0? Lobbying in the Shadows”), Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project, Tweet/X, 5 Jul 2023 – (“For too long, NZ lobbyists… operated in the shadows. NZ’s transparency rules around lobbying are …”) – via @bryce_edwards on X. (This highlights the general lack of transparency which applies to cases like NZW)

[23] NZW Vice-president (International Trade): NZW listed Vice-presidency of FIVS as activity in 2020 (showing global lobbying involvement), NZW Annual Report 2020, p.30 (Financial breakdown), New Zealand Wine, https://www.nzwine.com/media/17492/annual-report_2020_final_web.pdf

[24] Sustainability focus – NZ Winegrowers launches “Roadmap to Net Zero 2050” (industry environment initiative led by NZW Environment Committee Chair Fabian Yukich), New Zealand Wine (press release), 7 July 2022, https://www.nzwine.com/en/media/press-releases/roadmap-to-net-zero-2050/

[25] NZ Winegrowers 2024 Fellows announced – recognition of industry leaders (including Xan Harding, Michael Brajkovich MW), Winetitles (Australia), 4 Oct 2023, https://winetitles.com.au/new-zealand-winegrowers-has-announced-its-2024-fellows/

[26] “14 domestic submissions to Government” in one year (illustrating scale of NZW advocacy efforts), NZW Annual Report 2020 – Financials page, New Zealand Wine, https://www.nzwine.com/media/17492/annual-report_2020_final_web.pdf

[27] Wine (Grape Wine Levy) Order 2016 – levy payable to New Zealand Winegrowers Incorporated, NZ Legislation (LI 2016/113), via FAOLEX, 2016, http://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC172633 (confirms NZW as levy collecting body under law)

[28] Government-Industry Agreement (GIA) Biosecurity: NZ Winegrowers is signatory to the biosecurity GIA, committing $1m reserve for biosecurity and participating in decision-making for incursions, NZW Annual Report 2017, p.42, New Zealand Wine, 2017 (details NZW’s biosecurity reserve)

[29] Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme vital to wine industry – “The scheme has been vital to the growth of the wine industry… improvements strike a careful balance… ensuring Pacific workers have well-paid work and employers get the workers they need,” Philip Gregan, NZW CEO, quoted in FoodProcessing.com.au, 16 Aug 2024, https://www.foodprocessing.com.au/content/processing/news/new-zealand-winegrowers-welcome-rse-scheme-changes-1612225893

Spot anything in this entry that is wrong? Please either leave a comment at the end or email, in confidence: bryce@democracyproject.nz