We are extremely happy to introduce to you Wine Collective Direct, who work to take the hassle out of ordering and delivering premium New Zealand wine to Australia. With all-inclusive pricing to your door, you can enjoy my wine directly from me with no hidden fees.
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Find out more below:
http://www.winecollective.direct/.../mar.../steve-bird-wines

Steve Bird Wines and other Māori winemakers of the Tuku Maori Winemakers Collective feature in an article by Jake Emen about the "Indigenous Māori Winemakers of New Zealand."
Check out the article here.

Check out this recent article titled "New Zealand’s First Māori-Owned and -Operated Winery Has Global Distribution and a 500-Year Plan" by Jake Emen. Illustration by Danielle Grinberg.

https://vinepair.com/articles/new-zealand-maori-wine/

Did you see the write up about us in The Weekend Sun over the weekend?
You can read it here.

Their Māori-branded product suite will be hosted on NZ Post’s flagship store on the e-commerce platform Tmall Global, which is part of the Alibaba Group. Chinese customers can order online, NZ Post will then package the order from its Auckland Airport warehouse and send direct to Chinese consumers in a partnership with China Post.

The innovative solution is underpinned by a world-first verification process developed in collaboration between AsureQuality, New Zealand Post and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise for the HUI Māori Collective.

The ‘Food Trust Framework’ means that Chinese consumers can be confident that their goods do come directly from New Zealand and the authenticated Māori producers in the collective.

The framework offers total consumer transparency via a unique product QR code and a verified physical delivery logistics system. This ensures the authenticity, quality and safety of the HUI products purchased by Chinese consumers. 

For exporters, the framework delivers the trusted transparency and confidence in their own brand stories and ‘NZ Inc’ that discerning international consumers are looking for.

Further provenance authentication is provided through New Zealand’s FernMark Licence, which will be proudly displayed on HUI marketing materials, their Tmall Global online store and the HUI Collective website. The New Zealand Government FernMark Licence Programme verifies that products are grown or made or designed in New Zealand by reputable New Zealand companies.

Carrying the trademark offers the collective an additional layer of credibility and trust to both distributors and consumers in China. This is the first time a FernMark has been issued to a coalition group of exporters.

The HUI group will benefit from FernMark’s robust online IP protection programme, which monitors over 800 global e-commerce markets in China, including TMALL and Taobao. This ensures that all products bearing the FernMark are licensed to do so thereby providing a mark of trust and authenticity.

Tiki Taane has also joined the coalition, blending world-class Māori entertainment with premium food and beverage products, providing Chinese consumers with a unique shopping experience and helping the coalition’s products stand out on Tmall Global.

Trade is crucial for New Zealanders well-being and standard of living; 620,000 Kiwis rely on exports for their livelihood. It is why the Government is firmly focused on supporting our exporters. And we applaud those who contribute to our prosperity at home through their success on the international stage.

As a country, we need to diversify and enhance the value of our goods and services exports, and the HUI Māori Collective is the perfect example of that. HUI is a celebration of support and kinship. Māori businesses are already key players on the world stage and major contributors to the New Zealand economy.

Today is a modern world of commerce where it is global, borderless and online – a place where Māori excel. What makes Māori business unique is our culture, our values, our approach. HUI carries all those proud, valuable Māori qualities with them into China.

The chair of the Collective, Hayden Johnston, said each member had proven success within their own business. “Together we have formed an incredibly cohesive group with an outright focus on quality and respect for land and people.

“We proudly put forward our very best products and we have learnt to leverage our collective skills, energies and resources in the belief of achieving even greater success together.’’

Maggie Zhou, Managing Director of Alibaba Group in Australia and New Zealand, said: “New Zealand products continue to see strong and growing demand from Chinese consumers across Alibaba’s marketplaces. We look forward to working with the local businesses involved in the HUI Māori Collective and working with New Zealand Post to support the roll out of this initiative on our Tmall Global marketplace.”

The creation of the HUI Māori Collective has been supported by a number of organisations, including New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, AsureQuality, NZ Post, Te Puni Kōkiri and Poutama Trust.

The ANZ bank will provide support to develop a future blockchain solution, and bespoke finance solutions to support the Collective to manage its financial flows. Paul Goodwin, ANZ Institutional Managing Director, said: “Blockchain technology could make a significant difference to Māori businesses and other exporters trading overseas. As well as businesses being paid faster, it’ll provide verification of a product’s authenticity, critical for Chinese consumers.”

Auckland Airport has also come on board as an official partner and will create a video that will tell the ‘producer to consumer story’ through the Collective’s innovative delivery logistics.

The HUI Collective launched in China on Monday, November 5, during the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai.

AsureQuality has developed a unique quality assurance framework to independently verify the manufacturing and supply chains, as well as the authenticity of the collective’s Māori values and how these are applied. Now verified, each member company is able to use the AQ Assured assurance mark in association with their products.

Whether a product can be trusted is a major concern for Chinese consumers, so an independent verification will be a compelling point of difference for the coalition.

Te Puni Kōkiri has also invested $235,000 to assist with the development of the unique quality assurance framework, the independent verification of the HUI Māori Collective’s values story and the HUI products, trademarking, legal fees, branding, and development of tailor-made, branded packaging to protect the product in the postal channels.

Poutama Trust is providing financial and administrative support for the collective and operating as the grant manager for the TPK contract.

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise has connected these companies to the Alibaba opportunity and assisted them to work together to develop and execute this innovative export strategy. 
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Hui Māori Collective members

1. Kai Ora Honey
2. Mana Kai Honey
3. Tai Tokerau Honey
4. The True Honey Company
5. Steve Bird Wines (Tuku Māori Winemakers Collective)
6. Te Pā Wines (Tuku Māori Winemakers Collective)
7. Tiki Wines (Tuku Māori Winemakers Collective)
8. Terras Wines (Tuku Māori Winemakers Collective)
9. Taha Beverages
10. Kono

Supported by Tiki Taane

On November 12th “The Classic Wine Tasting Event” 2018 held by WABA in Shanghai China and participated by New Zealand Fine wineries and Premium Bottled Water Company.

As the year 2019 the China-New Zealand Year of Tourism WABA New Zealand took as an opportunity to join hands with local New Zealand companies and professionals to organize the China Tour, in which they will share the New Zealand wine culture and specialties. New Zealand’s recent developments in the fields of culture, education, economy, trade and investment. And the tour will demonstrate the complementary potential of the two sides.

So the magnificent journey started with “The Classic Wine Tasting Event” in China’s biggest and prosperous city Shanghai which is known for its historical landmarks and modern skylines in renowned restaurant Qian Xiang Ge which is a classic representation of Guizhou province and its authentic culture.
      
The event started with introduction speech by Mrs. Olive Chen Overseas Manager, she said that 2019 is the China-New Zealand Year of Tourism. The past decades have witnessed the win-win cooperation, close economic and trade exchanges, and in-depth cultural exchanges between China and New Zealand.  
     
Over the past few years, China has grown into New Zealand’s largest trading partner, the largest export market, the largest source of international tourists, and the largest source of education consumers.  And than she introduced the enthusiastic participates & WABA members from New Zealand Branch Office started from winners Copper Creek, Maimai Creek, Decibel, Steve Bird Winery, Aorangi Road, Tarras,  Kuru Kuru and 8 Water which is a premium bottled water company.

Event mark the presence of more than 50 guests from the alcohol industry which included experts, entrepreneur’s, scholars, distributors, buyers and so on.
      
Attendees tasted the different variety of Wines presented by our valuable member wineries of New Zealand which really impressed every one as the wines are of fine quality and sustainable in nature which truly given the image of respected country of their origin.
     
The authentic Guizhou style ambience and Wines of New Zealand Created an atmosphere of culture, knowledge, trade & business which truly represented WABA Initiative.
      
At the end of the event there were also luck draws in which guests got the Wine Bottles from the wineries repetitive as a gift to finish the unforgettable event which marked the positive start of the tour for members and Team WABA New Zealand branch office under the supervision of our experienced & extraordinary Overseas Manager Mrs. Olive Chen.
​Click for more details
 
Source: WABA New Zealand Branch Office
Article By: Dolly Bakshi (WABA New Zealand Branch Office)

A group of indigenous Maori food producers in New Zealand has launched a new export collective. The group plans to head to Shanghai for the China International Import Expo in November. The HUI Maori Collective has received government support to sell a range of high quality foods and beverages. They're also hoping to tap into cultural similarities between the Maori and Chinese people. Owen Poland tells the story from Wellington.

Traditional Maori singing wafted through Wellington's distinctive 'Beehive' Parliament buildings to celebrate the official launch of the HUI Maori Collective.

Eleven Maori businesses have joined forces to export wine, manuka honey, fruit bars and a soft drink to China, and they're supported by a Government that wants to promote trade.

DAVID PARKER NEW ZEALAND MINISTER FOR TRADE AND EXPORT GROWTH "The brand values of the HUI Maori Collective are underpinned by the standards of integrity of you as people but also the integrity of your products."

That integrity has seen the Collective become the first coalition of exporters to join the Government's Food Trust Framework which guarantees that products are high quality, authentic - and safe.

STEVE BIRD HUI MAORI COLLECTIVE MEMBER "We need people to understand that we're the real deal, we're genuine, we're Tangata Whenua, the people of the land."

Products from the HUI Collective will be sold on China's Tmall Global website which represents another breakthrough for Maori exporters.

NANAIA MAHUTA NEW ZEALAND MINISTER FOR MAORI DEVELOPMENT "For the very first time we can enter into the modern world of e-commerce in ways that continue to derive benefit to those businesses, yes." 

OWEN POLAND WELLINGTON "The Maori collective chose the word HUI because, amazingly, it has a common meaning of meeting or coming together in both the Maori and Chinese languages. And the 'U' in the middle symbolizes a traditional Maori food basket."

The two cultures also share similar values around family life and long-term goals which the Collective hopes will strengthen their connection with Chinese consumers.

HAYDEN JOHNSTON HUI MAORI COLLECTIVE CHAIRMAN "I'd like to think that we understand each other in a better way, and if that results in a competitive advantage then that's great."

The Government also hopes the Collective will boost New Zealand's international brand status.

NANAIA MAHUTA NEW ZEALAND MINISTER FOR MAORI DEVELOPMENT "The more that we can ensure that New Zealand gains advantage from what Maori contributes to that brand, but also to the economy, the more that we will all benefit."

And while the four winemakers in the Collective are sometimes fierce competitors, being in a coalition with family values gives them greater strength.

STEVE BIRD HUI MAORI COLLECTIVE MEMBER "There's a free flow of knowledge that goes between each of the members that perhaps large multi-national corporations wouldn't share. But we're family, we're brothers, we're sisters, we're cousins."

The next stop for the HUI Collective is Shanghai where they'll join a strong New Zealand representation at the China International Import Expo. Owen Poland, CGTN, Wellington.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/784d6a4e78494464776c6d636a4e6e62684a4856/share_p.html

The TUKU Māori Winemakers Collective is redefining the way to approach export business, and they’re excited by the reaction to their collaborative initiative.
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It all started four years ago when a handful of Māori-owned wineries sat down with Poutama Trust and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE). 

From that early conversation, a collaborative approach was taken to several international trade shows coming up in Taiwan and Hong Kong, also involving selected honey and meat producers – all were Māori owned businesses.

The idea of establishing a wine collective amongst Māori emerged. There was nothing in that space at the time. 

The official launch of the TUKU Māori Winemakers Collective took place in mid-July at Air New Zealand’s customer innovation and collaboration centre (CICC) in Auckland’s CBD.

The five founding members that make up the TUKU Collective are te Pā¯ Family Vineyards, Tiki Wines, Steve Bird Wines, Kuru Kuru Wines and Ostler Wines.

Haysley MacDonald, owner of te Pā¯, says the goal of the Collective is to target opportunities with its portfolio offering, which represents most of New Zealand’s main wine growing regions – Marlborough, Waipara, Hawke’s Bay, Waitaki and Central Otago.

There are also opportunities to collaborate on industry events, he says, to pool and share resources and generally share knowledge.

“We want to put Māori on the map in the wine sector. Maori are already strongly represented across forestry, tourism, and seafood, so we’re keen to have more diversity for Māori businesses.

“The very long-term goal is to leave a legacy for our kids, and their kids, and their kids after them. It’s what drives us all to create and nurture sustainable businesses, and that’s a point of difference to other companies, who might be only thinking ten, 20 years ahead.

“As Māori, we’re thinking inter-generational business growth and longevity.”

Marketing the business collectively offshore hasn’t been without its challenges.

“We all talk about whakapapa and history, but outside of New Zealand the challenge is more about trying to get people to understand and appreciate that there was life in New Zealand before Captain Cook arrived,” explains Haysley.

“To get international customers to see that can be a challenge, but it’s something we continue to work on as it’s so central to the Māori identity.”

However, domestically there has been a lot of positive feedback, he says.

“We’re really excited to see some strong domestic interest in the Collective’s offering from some major tourism operators, airlines and airports. The positive attention we’re gaining from key media is hugely valuable in promoting our Collective ideals and the businesses and brands within the group,” says Haysley. 

The response from their peers in the industry has been overwhelmingly positive too, he adds. “We’re hearing from our industry mates that this is a great initiative, and that it is good to see Maori business owners getting together and collaborating.” 

Export goals
For the TUKU Māori Winemakers Collective, China is the first cab off the rank for international sales. Through their work with the Hui Maori Collective (a cluster of Māori food and beverage producers) they’re launching on Alibaba’s powerful Tmall e-commerce platform in November.

Haysley says there is a world of potential through that single platform alone. 

“In terms of overall sales, anywhere there is an opportunity to pitch our Collective portfolio will benefit the individual businesses within our TUKU whānau.”

While it’s still early days, the Collective is buoyed by the initial response overseas.

“Master of wine, Bob Campbell, was recently quoted as saying: ‘TUKU offers a point of difference that I know will captivate international audiences enough to get a foot in the door.
The strength of their wine quality will do the rest’.”

Long term goals
Haysley says the long-term export goals of the TUKU Māori Winemakers Collective are really no different to those of each individual member: “sustainable, profitable partnerships with overseas markets, where we enjoy a long term relationship with our distribution partners, who see the value in our collective story and unique Māori heritage”. 

Looking back and with the benefit of hindsight he doesn’t think they would have done anything differently. “We’re a small group, so we are finding our feet as we go in many areas. 

“Where other collaboratives and collectives work together solely from a business point of view, we’re a bit different as it’s more of a family environment. We’ll stay at each other’s places when we’re travelling; we share kai together and enjoy a laugh. 

“We’re excited that people see TUKU as a point of difference and see it as a different way of doing business,” says Haysley. “It’s not all about dollars and cents; it can be about Te Ao Māori, which is a unique way of viewing and being in the world.”