Winetopia launches new online platform "Winetree" connecting enthusiasts with outstanding local wineries
15 May 2020
Today should have been the first day of New Zealand’s largest public wine tasting events – Winetopia, for 2020. With Winetopia postponed until Covid-19 restrictions ease, the organisers Lemongrass Productions, have today launched a new website offering a carefully curated list of the nation’s top wines. Winetree features outstanding producers from all over the country, all of whom have been impacted by the recent shutdown. This new initiative also aims to give our environment a boost by supporting local native tree planting projects with every purchase.
Founder Rob Eliott says: “After running the Taste of Auckland Festival for 11 years and Winetopia since 2016, we have come to know some truly wonderful winemakers who were all expecting to showcase their best bottles at our Winetopia events this winter. Our new Winetree website offers customers a chance to explore and buy these wines online, knowing that they will have world-class wines delivered with every order. We stand by all these wines 100% and people will have the opportunity to meet the winemakers in Auckland and Wellington when our events are able to resume.”
Wineries on the site include Nautilus Estate and Greywacke from Marlborough, Pegasus Bay and Black Estate from North Canterbury, Prophets Rock and Gibbston Valley from Central Otago, Elephant Hill and Osawa from Hawkes Bay, Palliser Estate from Martinborough and Man o War from Waiheke naming just a few. All offerings on the site are proudly New Zealand made aside from one – the JK14 range from Sir John Kirwan and daughter Francesca which are brought in from Italy and have been very popular at the Winetopia events. “We feel that supporting Italian producers at this time is also very appropriate, plus, JK’s Melanotte is simply fantastic” offered Eliott.
Ann Boanas, owner Mt Rosa Wines, has her 2014 Pinot Noir in the Red Masterclass Mixed Case. Boanas reflects on the recent lockdown period “while being categorised as an essential service thankfully allowed us to complete this year’s grape harvest, the wine industry as with many others has been significantly impacted, particularly with the closing of cellar doors and restaurants both here and around the world. Local initiative Winetree is great for getting our wines out to the public where they can be enjoyed.”
Winetree offers everything from high-end wines like the 2016 Mount Michael Isla Pinot Noir at $65 a bottle to the easy going “House White” of the month – Tony Bish’s Fat & Sassy Chardonnay at $19.99. Mixed cases offer an exciting excursion through New Zealand wine country showcasing only the best expressions of the varieties that New Zealand excels at.
Every case purchased on Winetree.co.nz supports native tree planting through a partnership with Million Metres. The first project will help to fund riparian planting along the Matuku Reserve at Te Henga (Bethells Beach) helping restore water quality to the waterways as well as capturing carbon from the atmosphere.
For more information see www.winetree.co.nz
