Future wine leaders prepare for New Zealand Young Viticulturist and Winemaker of the Year finals

Young Viticulturist and Winemaker of the Year finalists are gearing up to “battle it out” at the national finals in Martinborough this month. Five finalists will compete in the 2026 Ormond Nurseries Young Viticulturist of the Year competition at Escarpment on Wednesday 26 August. The competitors include Heath Miller from Pask, Hawke’s Bay; Alex Coombs, Craggy Range, Wairarapa; Kris Godsall, Cloudy Bay, Marlborough; Joshua Irving, Lincoln University, North Canterbury; and Braxton Benseman, Mt. Difficulty, Central Otago. The 2026 Tonnellerie de Mercurey Young Winemaker of the Year national finalists will compete at Foley’s The Runholder on Tuesday 25 August. The three competitors are Aaron Coxhead, Coxhead Wines, Waikato; Nick Lamain, Isabel Estate, Marlborough; and Joshua Irving, Lincoln University, North Canterbury, the first person ever to compete in both national finals in the same year.