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General duties of all wine exporters

There are several ways that wine can be sourced for export, including being made:

• by the exporter

• for the exporter under contract

In all cases, both the winemaker and the wine exporter must comply with the Wine Act 2003.

All wine exporters have the following responsibilities. You must:

• export only wine that has been made under a registered wine standards management plan (WSMP)

• keep records that demonstrate the origin and processing of the wine

• follow specific requirements for your type of wine

• ensure that all wines exported meet relevant market specific export requirements

• advise NZFSA of any issues.

Export only wine that has been made under a WSMP

You must export only wine that complies with any relevant standards and specifications under the Wine Act. In practice this means that all wine exported must be manufactured under a registered wine standards management plan (WSMP) that has been verified at the appropriate frequency and assigned an acceptable audit outcome which indicates compliance with relevant OMARs.

If you want to export wine manufactured by someone other than yourself you will need to work with the manufacturer to determine that this requirement is met.

What is a wine standards management plan?

You can export some consignments (not for retail sale) without a wine standards management plan.

Exemptions for wine consignments that are not for retail sale

Keep records that demonstrate the origin and processing of the wine

As a minimum, for each lot or batch of wine the exporter must keep the following records for traceability purposes:

• the wine standards management plan ID number (or numbers) that the wine was made under. If it was made under one wine standards management plan and bottled under another, there will be two wine standards management plan ID numbers linked to that wine.

• the quantity of each lot or batch

• the storage location

• the package type

• the next person in the supply chain (who the wine is sold to).

Follow specific requirements for New Zealand grape wine

If you export New Zealand grape wine, your wine must be meet export eligibility requirements.

Export requirements for New Zealand grape wine

Follow specific requirements for non-New Zealand grape wine

If you export wine made from grapes not grown in New Zealand, fruit or vegetable wine, cider or mead, you must be registered as a wine exporter.

Export requirements for non-New Zealand grape wine, fruit or vegetable wine, cider or mead

Meet relevant market-specific export requirements

You must ensure that all wines you export meet all the requirements of the countries you are exporting to.

Market-specific export requirements for wine – including OMARs

Advise NZFSA of any issues

Advise NZFSA within 24 hours from the time you first discover that exported wine:

• becomes unfit for its intended purpose

• is refused entry by a foreign government

• fails to meet relevant overseas market access requirements

• does not have, or no longer has, the required export documentation (for example, official assurances).

Contact for wine exporter enquiries

wine.query@nzfsa.govt.nz

Related links

• Wine standards management plans

• Verification

• Wine legislation

Last updated 22 May 2009