Small wine, big idea

Chris Nathan sees a new opportunity. Photo / Janna Dixon

Brightly coloured 250ml bottles aimed at the European summer-events market is the latest planned use for excess New Zealand wine.

It is also the most recent venture for French-based Kiwi food entrepreneur Chris Nathan, who is better known for avocado oil.

He and UK-based business partner Sandra Ledger are targeting their Pukeko Bend wine brand at large events such as the Glastonbury Festival.

So far they have bottled a Gisborne chardonnay and a Marlborough sauvignon blanc in the small, high-grade plastic bottles and are looking for a cabernet merlot and pinot noir. They plan on having about seven varieties.

Nathan said it was a new opportunity for winemakers to move their excess supplies and didn't compete with the standard 750ml market.

Pukeko Bend was not selling cheap bulk product but was looking for quality, so it was also a good way of showcasing New Zealand wine.

"The wine industry tends to be a little old-fashioned and I don't think it can be anymore. We're saying, 'this is a really nice drinking wine, it's good quality and it's a new format'."

Nathan admitted the initiative was a leap of faith but believed a good market existed in Europe where people would buy a 250ml bottle to have with lunch.

Nathan and Ledger have enlisted the help of former Church Road winemaker Tony Prichard to source the supply.

Prichard said they were not relying on brokers of bulk wine, because supply and quality could be patchy. "That's not our business model. We are building relationships with wineries to supply the quality and style we feel is appropriate."

Pukeko Bend was paying a good price for its wine, which was bottled in New Zealand, then exported, he said.

Industry body New Zealand Winegrowers has been concerned about a huge increase in bulk exports in case it devalues the country's reputation as a maker of top-shelf wines.

Chief executive Philip Gregan said bulk wine was running at about 27 per cent of exports and the image problem remained an issue.

However, the wine glut had led to a number of innovations as winemakers searched for ways to shift product. Sparkling sauvignon blanc was an example.

"[Pukeko Bend] is another development I put in that category," Gregan said.

He noted 250ml bottles were an expensive way to buy New Zealand wine.

Nathan, a chef by trade, was a pioneer of the New Zealand avocado oil business when he set up manufacturer Olivado 11 years ago.

Olivado Holdings went into receivership in 2009 after a falling out between Nathan and the company's main backer, film producer Gary Hannam.

Nathan has subsequently launched a new avocado oil venture with former competitor Andrew Logan.

AvoHealth's range includes flavoured avocado and olive oil mixes and a white balsamic dressing made with New Zealand sauvignon blanc grapes.