New Zealand has been recognised as the best Wine Region for the 2026 Azure Road Impact Awards Drinks Category.
The Azure Road Drinks Impact Awards were created to give a more holistic perspective to conversations about sustainable wine.
Azure Road – a digital lifestyle and travel publication – looked at how producers farm, who gets represented, who gets hired, and who gets to stay on the land or in the community.
For the Drinks Impact Awards, environmental frameworks were important, but they weren’t the whole story and New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) says it is honoured to receive the accolade.
“Vineyards and wineries sit at the intersection of land, labour, and culture, yet conversations about ‘sustainable wine’ often stop at certifications and carbon footprint,” says NZW.
“NZW’s focus on our Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand Programme (SWNZ) is what set us apart from the other Wine Regions nominated.”
Over more than 30 years, SWNZ has evolved into a robust, independently audited programme that now certifies 96% of New Zealand’s vineyard area and approximately 90% of wine production by volume.
“That level of participation by both winegrowers and winemakers sets this programme apart as the only one of its kind around the world,” says NZW. “In 2025, exports of New Zealand wine exceeded $2.1b per annum.
“The SWNZ programme has never sat still but has continuously evolved to meet an ever-changing world. It focuses on six key areas: Climate Change, Water, Waste, Plant Protection, Soil and People.
“One thing that has remained constant for the last 30 years and will continue to reassure wine lovers around the world is the high level of commitment New Zealand wine has to a sustainable future that drives its unique and distinctive wines.”
In the same awards New Zealand winery, Loveblock, was recognised as the Best Wine Brand.
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