Marlborough Young Winemaker of the Year for 2026 has been crowned

Nick Lamain from Isabel Estate has been crowned the 2026 Tonnellerie de Mercurey Marlborough Young Winemaker of the Year, following the competition held yesterday at the Marlborough Research Centre (MRC) and Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) in Blenheim. “I’m thrilled,” said Lamain, who had been studying hard in the build-up to the competition, determined to win. He also competed in the 2024 National Final and hopes his previous experience will stand him in good stead for this year’s finals. New Zealand Winegrowers also extended congratulations to Katasha Pearce from Saint Clair Family Estate, who came second, and to Paiqi Cao from Indevin, who came third. The organisation said that there were ten contestants total, including: O'Callaghan, Marisco; Briahana Adams, Constellation Brands; Erina Lim, Framingham; Jamie Howe, Nautilus Estate; Juan Bautista Fernandez, Te Pa; Michael Hix, Yealands; and Zoe Holcroft, Rose Family Estate.