Steps to exporting New Zealand grape wine

Make wine under a Wine Standards Management Plan

If you want to export your wine, it must be made and packaged under a Wine Standards Management Plan (WSMP). The WSMP must be registered with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) for your facility or the contract facility that you plan to use.

Find out about Wine Standards Management Plans

The plan must be verified

You must ensure that the WSMP for your facility or the contract facility that you plan to use is verified by an approved verifier within 6 months of registration, or before your first export (whichever is the soonest).

MPI will set an anniversary date based upon the first verification. After that, you must schedule a verification every 12 months.

Find out about wine verification

For further information, email wine.rules@mpi.govt.nz

Meet labelling requirements

In general, the rules for labels apply to grape wine made in New Zealand, whether your wine is sold locally or intended for export.

However, if your destination market has labelling requirements that are different from New Zealand's, you need to meet the destination market requirements instead.

As an exporter, it is your responsibility to ensure label compliance with your destination market. New Zealand Winegrowers provides advice about international labelling requirements. It also has a labelling guide you can download on the members’ section of its website.

Find out about wine labelling and composition requirements for New Zealand

Keep records

For traceability purposes, exporters must keep accurate records. For each lot or batch of wine, you must:

• record the Wine Standards Management Plan ID number the wine was made under. (There may be more than one number if, for example, it was produced under one plan and bottled under another).
• have documents that show the wine complies with any:
  • label claims regarding grape varieties, vintages and regions
  • export eligibility requirements
  • relevant overseas market access requirements
• record the quantity, storage location and package type
• record the person or business the wine was bought from and sold to.

MPI Trade Certification keeps a record of all of your export transactions. This helps you keep track of which batches of wine are eligible for which markets, where wine has been sent, and the balance of available eligible litres for export. You still need to keep separate records to support this information.

When wine is made and branded by someone else

If you are exporting grape wine that's already been produced and branded in New Zealand, you don't need to have your own registered WSMP. However, the wine producer and packager must have one.

You do not need access to MPI Trade Certification however, you must work with the wine producer to ensure you only export wine that meets:

• export eligibility requirements under the Wine Act
• any relevant overseas market access requirements

You will need the wine producer to apply for export documentation on your behalf, listing your details in the 'exporter' field of the consignment request in MPI Trade Certification.

Extra requirement for organic wine

If you export organic wine, you may also need to register with MPI as an organic exporter, depending on your destination markets.

Find out about exporting organic products

Check wine OMARs

Some countries have additional requirements that you have to meet. These include labelling and official assurance requirements, and rules about oenological (winemaking) practices.

You need to check the Overseas Market Access Requirements (OMARs) for your destination country. There are 4 OMARs you may need to look at:

• United States of America Wine OMAR [PDF, 63 KB]
• European Union Wine OMAR [PDF, 523 KB]
• Great Britain Wine OMAR [PDF, 335 KB]
• Brazil Wine OMAR [PDF, 308 KB]

Search OMARs by country/market: animal products, wine, and organics

As part of your application for batch eligibility, you will need to make declarations for each batch of wine to show that your wine meets any relevant OMARs. If you have a WSMP, your verifier will check that winemaking records are consistent with these declarations.

If you are exporting organic wine, you should also check if there are any requirement documents for exporting organics

Need help with OMARs?

If you're unsure of OMAR requirements, consult the New Zealand Winegrowers International Winemaking Practices guide. This guide is available to New Zealand Winegrowers' members on its website.

The guide explains permitted oenological practices for the European Union, Great Britain, and Brazil, as well as other key markets.

New Zealand Winegrowers website

You can also contact MPI.

Get help with exporting

When exporting to a country with no OMAR

Most countries do not have certification requirements for wine exports.

If there is no OMAR for your destination country, we recommend you work directly with your importer to check for certification and any other requirements.

Check if there are other market requirements

Besides meeting general wine export requirements, some countries also require you to include particular documents or official assurances with your consignment.

Official assurance means a general statement issued by MPI to a foreign government (or its agent) attesting that certain conditions have been met.

Official assurances are only required for the European Union and Brazil.

MPI issues the documents listed in this table to help you access these markets.

How to request statements and certificates

You can request a Free Sale Advice Statement or Free Sale Certificate through MPI Trade Certification.

How to use MPI Trade Certification

If you need a Cultivar Certificates or Free Sale Certificates for Ukraine – or you're asked for an export document not in the table – email wine.query@mpi.govt.nz

You need access to MPI Trade Certification:

• if you make or bottle wine for export, or if you are an exporter with your own wine brand, to apply for approval to export New Zealand grape wine
• if you are a contract winemaker or bottler so that you can confirm winemaking/bottling/filling run details for your clients.

All New Zealand grape wine export applications are handled through MPI Trade Certification.

How to use MPI Trade Certification (including guidance documents)

MPI Trade Certification was launched on 25 November 2024 and replaced Wine e-Cert.