GWC Knowledge Day – 22 October 2026

Social Terroir: Breaking New Ground

Join international and New Zealand experts for a day of fresh thinking, practical insight and meaningful connections at the Great Wine Capitals Knowledge Day.

Wine tourism sits at the intersection of land, culture, community and commerce. Increasingly, the ability of wine regions to thrive depends on earning and maintaining social licence—the informal but powerful permission society gives an industry to operate.

Under the theme Social Terroir: Breaking New Ground, Knowledge Day will explore how wine and tourism businesses can respond to changing expectations around sustainability, cultural responsibility, authentic regional storytelling and community wellbeing.

The programme is designed for those working across the wine, tourism, hospitality and wider business sectors who want to remain relevant, resilient and globally connected.

Programme themes

Cultural partnership and storytelling

Explore authentic engagement with local communities and visitors, responsible cultural storytelling, and how businesses can build cultural integrity into their brands, narratives and visitor experiences.

Sustainability as a social contract

Move beyond aspirational messaging to embed sustainability within business strategy, build customer trust, deliver benefits for local communities and strengthen access to international markets.

Agritourism and diversification for resilience

Discover how wine regions and rural businesses can diversify their visitor offerings while protecting their landscapes, supporting local economies and enhancing community wellbeing.

Speakers

The programme brings together international and New Zealand leaders in wine, tourism, sustainability, culture and agritourism, including:

• Dr John Barker, Director General of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine
• Jamie Knee, award-winning wine travel writer, global presenter and founder of Petite Wine Traveler
• Karl Wixon, Māori strategic adviser, cultural storyteller and place-brand specialist
• Jeff Sinnott, winemaker, industry adviser and founding member of the TUKU Māori Winemakers Collective
• Meagan Littlejohn, Programme Manager, Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand
• Cam Hayes, Marketing Manager Sustainability, Tourism New Zealand
• Jessica Vandy, sustainability practitioner and founder of The Tenth Letter Consulting
• Duncan Darroch, founder of Electric Executive and Hawke’s Bay Experiences
• Marijke Dunselman, founder of Agritourism New Zealand
• Associate Professor Joanna Fountain, rural tourism and resilience researcher at Lincoln University
• Dr InHaeng Jung, Wine Business Institute, Sonoma State University
• Dr Jessica Mei Pung, agritourism researcher, University of South Australia

What you’ll take away

Knowledge Day will equip attendees to:

• Recognise social licence as a strategic enabler of growth
• Strengthen cultural and community partnerships
• Create visitor experiences that respect culture, heritage and landscape
• Protect regional provenance and authenticity in global markets
• Embed measurable sustainability practices within wine and tourism businesses
• Explore diversification models that support local economies and destination resilience