Raglan Wine Festival 2025
8 February 1pm–5pm
Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or looking for a lo-fi introduction, this mini-festival is perfect for all.
Get ready to sip, swirl, and savour at the Raglan Wine Tasting Festival!
From bold reds to delicate whites, each pour tells a story of passion and craftsmanship.
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Sample a variety of wines from 8 distributors
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Meet industry experts
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Exclusive pricing on wines during the event
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Tasty Food Treats, including Cheeses!
Alcohol Age Restrictions apply.
Join us for an unforgettable experience at the Raglan Wine Festival, where the love for wine, food, and community comes alive. You may even be interested to join an interactive workshop that will deepen your appreciation for the art of winemaking.
Don’t miss the chance to participate in exclusive tastings, where you can discover hidden gems from boutique wineries.
Whether you’re here to learn or simply enjoy the atmosphere, the Raglan Wine Festival promises to be a celebration of flavor and friendship. Mark your calendars and prepare for an event filled with delightful discoveries!
Eary Bird pricing extended until 20 January 2025: $50 per person
Late Bird pricing: $65 per person
Alcohol Age Restrictions apply.
Event Vendors
Handcrafted Wine
Raglan
Grown on the foothills of Mt Karioi, overlooking the restless Ruapuke swell, the unique character of Barrelled Wines is defined by this steep, windswept and unforgiving terrain. Handpicked and handcrafted with minimal interference at our home, we make our small batch releases with a true artisan approach.
Catalyst Fruit Wines
Eketahuna
Small batch fruit wines hand crafted in Eketāhuna, Aotearoa, from locally sourced organic produce.
We hope that our wines will be a catalyst to change how people will think of fruit wine. Our wines are for savouring, creating different wine narratives and, most importantly, creating occasions!
Drinking and supporting fruit winemakers is supporting diversity and game changers.
Plum Tree Cottage was built in 1905 and is host to ancient heirloom plum and pear trees, elder, apples, currants, feijoas, walnuts, figs, berries and many herbs.
Sustainable Products
Lake Karapiro
We are a boutique, family owned winery located on the shores of Lake Karapiro. We focus our energy on Chardonnay and Bordeaux varieties to suit the Waikato climate. Our flagship wines are our Pinot Noirs that come from two vineyards in Central Otago.
Alex Coldicutt took on the role as Winemaker in 2019 and produces single vineyard wines with minimalist intervention and natural fermentation to display the magnificent terroir these vineyard sites have to offer. The wines are bottled unfined and with minimal filtration to preserve its texture and purity.
Sante Wines
international
Wine is a pleasure that’s best when shared, so at Sante Wines, we’re passionate about combining quality with accessible pricing.
To achieve this we’ve partnered with a selection of vineyards from France, to supply New Zealand with an unexplored variety of quality French wines that truly represent their terroir.
Our vineyards are often small, family-run and from lesser known regions opening you up to the experience of exploring a wide range of styles and varieties.
Urban Winery
New Plymouth
Known Unknown is an urban winery in New Plymouth, Taranaki. We think the world of wine can be exclusive and elitist, however, as an urban winery we’re dedicated to changing that.
We want to make wine fun, approachable, accessible, and transparent. We make fruit-forward, fun, bright and expressive wine, cider and aperitifs.
Workshop Brewing
Raglan
Workshop Brewing – Raglan’s first craft brewery – was founded in 2016. In honour of the original ‘Raglan Workshop’ hub for transport, mechanical and engineering services our trademark became the obstruction spanner – a tool made to work around any problem that gets in the way.
Our key objective is to provide a range of fresh and diverse beers for the local community.
We are also leading the charge on making a difference in the game, minimising our footprint and creating a sustainable, quality beverage that doesn’t cost our precious earth.
With 8 core range beers on tap and a selection of limited venue-only releases spanning a wide range of styles, there’s plenty to choose from.
Blanc Distribution
National
New Year Special
Just $50 Early Bird price extended until 20 January 2025, then rises to $65
Early Bird Countdown
Day(s)
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Hour(s)
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Minute(s)
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Alcohol Age Restrictions apply.
Your ticket entitles you to:
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12 tastings at 30ml each
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wine sales with special discounts
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attendance at any discussion
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access to the Festival Bar
You’ll be in great company with:
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Red Wine vendors & experts
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White Wine vendors & experts
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Craft Beer vendors & experts
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access to the Foodie Garden Bar
Early Bird Tickets Available Now!
Save $15 with an Early Bird, but there is limited space. Don’t miss out!
Event Schedule
Raglan Wine Festival 2025
1pm–1:30pm
Feb 8 2025
Welcome
Arrive any time after 1pm and greeters and leaflets will provide an overview of what to expect, and details of the vendors.
2pm–2:30pm
Feb 8 2025
Wine Wisdom with 2 of the Vendors
Step into the world of wine with our engaging vendor talks and gain unique insights into the artistry behind each vineyard. Learn of the craftsmanship of winemakers, and the nuances that differentiate every sip. This session will also offer a chance to ask questions.
3pm–3:30pm
Feb 8 2025
Cheese Chat
As you indulge in the delightful symphony of wines, let the world of cheese weave its own magic. Hear about the rich tapestry of flavors and textures that delight the palate.
4pm–4:30pm
Feb 8 2025
To Beer or not to Beer
Each unique craft beer can be a celebration of creativity and flavor, which can complement the artistry of the fine wines.
5pm
Feb 8 2025
Home time. Or fish 'n chips on the beach
We wave goodbye and hope we’ll see you again soon.
Vendor Profiles
Learn more about the backgrounds of our vendors and their products
Barrelled Wines
The slopes of Mount Karioi, overlooking the majestic, wild sweep of Ruapuke Beach is a fantastic spot for a house – it’s also a brilliant place to grow grapes! David and Haylee are realising their dream of a peaceful family life and making fantastic wines. Their tiny vineyard grows Syrah and Pinot Gris and David is making wines from both as well as two styles of Syrah-based Rose. It’s a challenge growing grapes in the tough west coast environment and even tougher because David is committed to minimal intervention in both the vineyard and the winery. Everything is small scale and all the grapes are handpicked and worked with in the on-site winery. Bottled on-site these are truly wines that reflect their terroir and the unconventional, can-do approach of the winemaker.
Catalyst Fruit Wines
SandRa lives in Eketahuna and almost all the produce that goes into her fantastic fruit and flower (and vegetable!) wines and fortified wines comes from either her own property or those of her neighbours. This is the ultimate in sustainable winemaking. SandRa uses conventional fruit wine and winemaking techniques – a lot of inspiration and a good dash of imagination to make a huge range of wines. She’s always up for an experiment with whatever nature throws at her. Catalyst wines tend to be vinified dry (forget the sickly sweet fruit wines of your youth) and SandRa is a big believer in aging for complexity. With favourites like Crabby Pumpkin (crab apples and pumpkin) or Hawera Cherry Blush forget what you think you know about fruit wine and embrace wine with a difference.
Known Unknown
Winemaker Jules is a powerhouse of energy and knowledge. His winemaking philosophy is simple – in a world where wine is often seen as elitist and exclusive he wants to make wine fun, approachable, accessible and transparent. Known Unknown wines are fruit-forward, fun, bright and expressive. Jules also makes cider and aperitifs in New Plymouth, Taranaki. This is a truly urban winery – working out of a warehouse off the main street of New Plymouth and with a matching wine bar – the very cool house wine – just up the road. Expect the unexpected – interesting blends, textural wines; all aimed at being fun and food friendly!
Takapoto Estate
Nestled alongside the shores of Lake Karapiro, deep in the Waikato, Takapoto Estate seems like an unlikely place to be growing award-winning wines. When the Plaw family got chatting to legendary NZ winemaker Andy Anderson in his Cambridge Wine shop it was the beginning of a great partnership. Andy made his first vintage from the property in 2012 and by 2018 was winning awards for the Central Otago Pinot grown down south but made in the Waikato. When Andy became ill, local boy Alex Coldicutt, who had spent many summers helping out, was called in as assistant winemaker and since Andy’s passing in 2019 has fully taken the reins at Takapoto. His philosophy reflects his mentor – ripeness is decided primarily by taste; there’s minimal intervention in the vineyard and fermentation takes place with wild yeasts and as little interference as possible. These are elegant wines, true to terroir and a testament to what care and attention can achieve in the most unlikely spots.
Become a Vendor
Be a Volunteer
Special Licence
Event Location
The Town Hall
Bow Street, Raglan
Waikato 3225
