New Zealand Wine Insights with Brent Linn

This show was published Friday, April 17, 2026

Overview

Brent Linn is the CEO of the Hawke's Bay Winegrowers Association and in this episode we gain insight into how the overall New Zealand wine industry is faring and how Hawke's Bay sits within that.

Hawke's Bay is one of the great wine capitals of the world, a network of cities joining together to recognise their wine tourism heritage. The 11 other cities are Cape Town Stellenbosch, San Francisco Napa Valley, Bilbao Rioja, Adelaide, Verona, Porto, Bordeaux, Mendoza, Mainz Rheinhessen and Lausanne.

The region also benefits from strong educational support, with the Eastern Institute of Technology offering extensive winemaking programmes that help develop the next generation of industry professionals.

New Zealand’s wine exports are driven by markets including the UK, US, Australia, Canada and Ireland. While Sauvignon Blanc remains the country’s flagship varietal, Hawke’s Bay is particularly known for its Chardonnay, which plays a central role in the region’s identity.

In New Zealand, there has been an oversupply of grapes, and Hawke's Bay has experienced a rollercoaster of vintages in recent years. The impact of Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023 has been a major factor, contributing to reduced production in 2024 following earlier damage to vineyards. 2025 and 2026 are looking to be back up to the long term average, but growers are still having to make informed decisions on what to harvest and in some cases, self-imposing their own limits on yields.

Sustainability remains a key focus for the New Zealand wine industry, with the wider wine community actively engaged in environmental initiatives, reinforcing the country’s commitment to long-term sustainability and quality.

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