ASI Exams, Training Your Nose Workshop, Star Winelist in NZ

We are excited to be back and kickoff on the Monday Tastings in Auckland from Monday 16 February. Register here.

For those working in our wine world, it has been a challenging two years and supporting our local wineries and listing them on winelists around the country does really help. Congratulations to the New Zealand restaurants who were finalist in the Star Wine List International Listing. Read more here.

As some of you will know, I have been visiting a number of our wine regions over the summer to research the 3rd edition of the New Zealand Wine Guide.  Read more about the Nelson Region and North Canterbury  wine regions

Over the next month we are focused on selecting One candidate to represent New Zealand at the ASI World Best Sommelier Competition to be held in Lisbon, Portugal from October 12, 2026. Candidates will sit a series of assessment on Monday 9 March along with the ASI Diploma Exams. Please email me if you would like to know more. Click here to register for ASI Diploma which closes on 25 February.

I also attended the Bendigo Fundraising Lunch to raise awareness of the proposed Bendigo Goldmine which sits behind this premium wine sub-region and will have enormous impact on the Central Otago environment. When luminaries like Sam Neill, Rudi Bauer, Grant Taylor and Christopher Keys stand up, we need to take this seriously. Read more here.

Congratulations to Samira Kakh who was featured in the ASI Magazine as an Iranian woman building a career in wine in New Zealand. Read her story here.

I have been working on a new workshop to help people train their noses to identify aromas. Dr Harold McGee, author of the legendary On Food and Cooking, which we use as a cookery textbook at NZ School of Food and Wine, took 10 years to write Nose Dive. 'Our sense of smell is the bridge between our experience of foods, beverages and experience of the larger world.'  Training your nose is an interactive workshop which you can join in Auckland and online via Google Meets. 

Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Celia Hay

Gold Mine in Central Otago?

Grant Taylor of Valli Wines and Rudi Bauer of Quartz Reef at the recent fundraising event to raise awareness of the proposed gold mine at Bendigo, Central Otago.

Sustainable Tarras is leading this charge. View their website here. 

Read the full post here

ASI Examinations 2026

Last call for candidates to sit ASI Diploma which takes place on Monday 9 March 2026 at 2pm. Registrations close on Weds 25 February. Read more here.

ASI have introduced the ASI Prep, a 50 questions multi-choice exam in preparation for ASI Certificate 1. The cost is $75. Please let us know if you are interested in this exam.

ASI Certificate 1 Monday 13 April 2026 Register here

ASI Certificate 2 Monday 9 November 2026 Register here

Dinner with Dr Erni Loosen at The French Café 

When Dr Erni Loosen comes to town with his Rocky Horror Riesling Show, the lucky attendees are treated to a presentation that is full of humour and insightful comments, reflecting his deep knowledge of our world of wine and his specific focus and creating outstanding wines from Riesling.

Read more here.