Event Details
Sep 16 - Sep 18
Toitoi - Assembly Ballroom
The Aotearoa Chardonnay Symposium returns to Te Matau-a-Māui Hawke’s Bay for its third edition, bringing together the New Zealand wine community for two days of focused discussion, tasting and exchange.
The theme of the 2026 symposium is quality, with a programme focussed on the unique features that define our whenua (land), climate, and philosophy, and how these elements come together to enable the production of premium Chardonnay.
Attendees can expect a curated lineup of benchmark wines, including international comparisons and rare examples, alongside contributions from leading local and international voices.
Sessions span the full arc of production and presentation, including:
– defining quality in a global context
– below-ground influences such as soil biology and plant health
– above-ground vineyard decisions including canopy and harvest timing
– case studies from leading producers
– conversations around style, texture and storytelling
PROGRAMMING:
Wednesday 16 September
Welcome Gathering (evening - offsite)
Thursday 17 September
Day One Symposium: 8:00am – 5:00pm (coffee available from 7am)
Delegate Celebration (evening - offsite)
Friday 18 September
Day Two Symposium: 8:00am – 4:00pm (coffee available from 7am)
// TICKET OPTIONS:
Two-Day Symposium Pass — $995 + GST
– Full access to both symposium days
– Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea on both days
– Wednesday Welcome Gathering
– Thursday Delegate Celebration
Single Day Pass — $495 + GST
– Access to one symposium day
– Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea
Welcome Gathering — $50 + GST
Wednesday 16 September
Peak House, From 5pm
A casual and informal welcome to delegates and opportunity to kick off the 2026 Aotearoa Chardonnay Symposium in style! This event is open to the wider wine community, so we encourage you to invite family, friends, colleagues and team members who aren’t attending the conference to purchase tickets.
An intentionally BYO event, guests are invited to bring a bottle of Chardonnay to share and enjoy a relaxed evening accompanied by a generous grazing table. It’s an opportunity to reconnect with old friends, make new connections, and celebrate the people behind New Zealand wine before the symposium conversations begin.
Perched high above Hawke’s Bay with sweeping views across the region, Peak House provides a spectacular setting for the opening of the symposium. Carpooling is recommended given the location.
Delegate Celebration — $95 + GST
Thursday 17 September
Atrium, from 5pm
As symposium programming concludes for the day, the Chardonnay Celebration begins. Tickets are available to delegates and their partners only, and is the symposium’s signature party: an evening dedicated to great bottles, unwinding after a full day of learning and discussion, and celebrating the friendships that make this community so special.
Guests are invited to bring a special, interesting or meaningful bottle of any variety to contribute to the (now relocated) sharing table, creating a unique opportunity to taste rare finds, back vintages, personal favourites and unexpected gems. Throughout the evening, Hawke’s Bay favourite Silence of the Lambs will be serving a generous feast inspired by the region’s outstanding produce, while a DJ keeps the grooves flowing.
Part bottle share, part feast, part celebration, the Chardonnay Celebration is where the day’s conversations continue, the corks keep popping, and the symposium community comes together for an evening to remember.
The symposium is a collaborative forum for the Aotearoa wine community to assess where we are, and where we are going, in the pursuit of exceptional Chardonnay.
