Wine Festival Attracts Global Interest

For immediate release
19 January 2007

Wine Festival Attracts Global Interest

 The largest and longest running wine festival in New Zealand, has attracted unprecedented international interest.

The 2007 Wine Marlborough Festival is the 24th held to celebrate the world acclaimed wines produced in the region. Once again the numbers of wineries keen to be a part of the renowned event, have increased, with 55 companies keen to show off their latest Marlborough wines.

And as Marlborough’s wines continue to attract interest from international consumers, so too has the Wine Festival. Latest Internet booking figures show that a considerable portion of tickets booked on-line for the event, have been booked overseas. Consumers in cities such as Venice, Salt Lake City, Alaska, Alberta and Marina del Rey have booked tickets for the Festival, with even more tickets being sold in America and the United Kingdom than ever before.

Wine Marlborough Festival spokesperson Sarah Booker says they have had a 20 percent increase in international ticket sales this year, when compared with 2006. “And we were amazed at how many overseas people attended the festival that year. So we are very happy. It is an indication of how much more international awareness there is of Marlborough wine. The region’s reputation as a quality producer is creating this international interest.”

Coinciding with an increase in international ticket sales, the Wine Festival will host 150 tourists from the international cruise liner Silversea, which is visiting Picton during Festival weekend.

All the visitors will be treated to a day long event that features not only world famous Marlborough wines, but also gourmet cuisine from any of the 26 food sites, entertainment from two of New Zealand’s hottest acts, Greg Johnson and Rhombus, introductions from funny-man Leigh Hart, (better known as ‘That Guy’), amidst a setting of vines at Pernod Ricard’s Brancott Estate.

The Wine Marlborough Festival will be held on Saturday February 10, from 10am – 6pm. Tickets are available online at www.tdtasman.co.nz or by phoning 0800 224 224.

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