Home / Great Wine Capitals conference 2026
Great Wine Capitals International Annual Conference · 18 to 22 October 2026
Welcome to Hawke's Bay, a Great Wine Capital.
For delegates from the eleven Great Wine Capitals. Getting here, getting between the week's events, and the wine days on either side of the programme.
Electric Executive is a Hawke's Bay chauffeur and touring company and a Great Wine Capitals Best Of Wine Tourism award winner for Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices in 2026 and 2027. During the Great Wine Capitals International Annual Conference, 18 to 22 October 2026, we drive delegates from Hawke's Bay Airport to their hotels, to the International Wine Tasting and to Knowledge Day, and we host private wine days before and after the programme.
Nau mai, haere mai. You are standing on Te Matau a Māui, the land the navigator Māui hauled from the sea with his hook. In Hawke's Bay that story is the start of how we host: care for the guest and care for the place are the same act. We would be delighted to show you the region the way we show our own guests.
Duncan Darroch, owner and host
Conference week, at a glance
Per vehicle unless stated, New Zealand dollars, GST included
- Hawke's Bay Airport to a Napier hotelMet at the arrival gate, flight tracked$300
- Hawke's Bay Airport to Hastings or Havelock NorthUp to 7 guests with luggage$360
- Hawke's Bay Airport to Rosewood Cape KidnappersArrival$520
- Chauffeur at your disposalEvenings, meetings, the tasting. Two hour minimum$240 per hour
- Hosted wine day, per personPrivate parties of 2 to 7from $225
Every price is in New Zealand dollars and includes GST. Every time on this page is New Zealand time. New Zealand is on daylight saving time in October, 13 hours ahead of UTC.
The week
Where you need to be, and how to get there.
The International Wine Tasting and Knowledge Day are open to anyone, not only registered delegates. Confirm times and registration on the official conference website.
| When, New Zealand time | What and where | Getting there with us |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday 18 to Thursday 22 October | Great Wine Capitals International Annual Conference, Hawke's Bay. Five-day programme for the eleven member capitals. | Airport arrivals and departures at fixed fares, met at the gate. |
| Monday 19 October, 8:30am to 4:15pm | Best Of Wine Tourism award winners tour for international hosted buyers, departing Napier War Memorial Centre. Hosted by Duncan Darroch. | Coach provided by the conference. |
| Wednesday 21 October, 9am to 12pm | B2B Trade Event, Napier War Memorial Centre. Ten-minute appointments between Hawke's Bay and New Zealand operators and fifteen international wine tourism buyers. | Morning pickup at the fixed transfer fare or by the hour. |
| Wednesday 21 October, 6pm | International Wine Tasting, Black Barn Market, Havelock North. Fifteen Hawke's Bay wineries pour alongside delegates from the other ten capitals. | A chauffeur at your disposal for the evening, from $240 per hour, two hour minimum, up to 7 guests. Black Barn is about 25 minutes by road from central Napier. |
| Thursday 22 October, 8.30am | Knowledge Day, Napier War Memorial Centre, Napier. Social Terroir: Breaking New Ground, with international and national speakers on wine tourism. Duncan speaks in the 10am to 12pm session. | Morning pickup from Havelock North, Hastings or Cape Kidnappers, at the fixed transfer fare or by the hour. |
Meet us in person
Four places to find Duncan during the week.
- Best Of Wine Tourism award winners tour, Monday 19 October, 8:30am to 4:15pm. Duncan hosts the international hosted buyers on the day-long tour of Hawke's Bay's award winners.
- B2B Trade Event, Wednesday 21 October, 9am to 12pm, Napier War Memorial Centre. Find our table for rates, capacity and famil dates.
- International Wine Tasting, Wednesday 21 October, 6pm, Black Barn Market, Havelock North.
- Knowledge Day keynote, Thursday 22 October, in the 10am to 12pm session Building sustainability into your strategy, Napier War Memorial Centre.
Or arrange a time before you arrive: info@elecexec.co.nz, or WhatsApp +64 21 025 87832, which works from any country.
From the Knowledge Day session
The authenticity is the luxury.
If you scanned the code on Duncan's slides, these are the ideas behind the talk, and the evidence for each.
Turangawaewae, a place to stand
You do not belong to a place until you understand what came before you: the land, the story, the people and the knowledge. That is the foundation of how we host.
Kaitiakitanga, guardianship
Sustainability reduces harm. Regeneration gives back. Guardianship asks us to put more back than we take.
Sustainability is the upgrade
Manaakitanga, care for the guest, and kaitiakitanga, care for the place, are the same act. For many guests their journey with us is their first in a high-end electric vehicle, and it asks no compromise in comfort or quality.
Measured, and regenerative
We measure our Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions on a live dashboard that updates from our accounts and trip logs, and the inventory is independently audited. We direct the cost of our emissions to the Hōhepa Hawke's Bay native plant nursery, a social enterprise, rather than to offshore offsets. We have also helped five small makers host international visitors for the first time. The full record is on our sustainability page.
Our fleet is electric-first. The BYD Atto 3, Tesla Model Y and Mercedes-Benz eVito are fully electric. The Mercedes-Benz V-Class and Sprinter are diesel and carry our larger groups and longer distances.
Before or after the programme
Four hosted days across the Great Wine Capital.
Private parties of 2 to 7. We collect you from your accommodation in Napier, Hastings, Havelock North or Cape Kidnappers and return you there. Per person, New Zealand dollars, GST included.
| Tour | The day | From, per person |
|---|---|---|
| Great Wine Capital Discovery | 4 hours. Te Mata Estate, the Ātea a Rangi star compass and Te Mata Peak: wine, Māori navigation and the landscape that shaped both. | $225 NZD |
| Signature | 5 hours. Craggy Range, Te Mata Estate and the Smith & Sheth Lieux-Dits flight, with light platters. | $445 NZD |
| Great Wine Capital Reserve | 7 hours, 10:00 to 17:00, Tuesday to Saturday. Every stop is a Best Of Wine Tourism winner: the Icon Tasting at Church Road, the Craggy Range Wine Experience and Signature Table lunch, and the Lieux-Dits flight. | $780 NZD |
| Artisan Producers Tour | 6 hours, 10:00 to 16:00, seven days. Honey, figs, high tea and the makers behind them. | $695 NZD |
Afternoons held for delegates: Saturday 17, Sunday 18 and Friday 23 October, 1pm to 5pm New Zealand time, for private sightseeing and wine visits. Book early, as these are the only free afternoons in conference week.
Full itineraries on the tours page. For a delegation or a group of 20 to 40, see our winemaker tasting and lunch at Black Barn.
For trade delegates
Sending guests to Hawke's Bay after the conference?
Our trade page carries our supplier facts, published retail fares, sample programmes, a 40 guest group day with timings and a sample menu, paste-ready supplier descriptions and six high-resolution images. Accredited DMCs, inbound operators and concierges receive a nett rate card by email on request.
We encourage famils. If you would like to see the vehicles and the wineries while you are here, tell us and we will arrange a vehicle and host.
Questions
Questions from delegates.
How do I get from Hawke's Bay Airport to my conference hotel?
Book a private transfer and we meet you at the arrival gate at Hawke's Bay Airport (NPE), track your flight and drive you to your hotel. Fixed fares per vehicle, up to 7 guests with luggage: $300 NZD to a Napier hotel, $360 NZD to Hastings or Havelock North and $520 NZD to Rosewood Cape Kidnappers, GST included.
How do I get to the International Wine Tasting at Black Barn Market?
The International Wine Tasting starts at 6pm on Wednesday 21 October 2026 at Black Barn Market, Havelock North, about 25 minutes by road from central Napier. Book a chauffeur at your disposal for the evening, from $240 NZD per hour with a two hour minimum, for up to 7 guests in one vehicle.
Can you take a group of delegates together?
Yes. One vehicle carries up to 11 guests, we run up to five vehicles at once, and we work with coach partners for larger groups. Our largest single movement to date is a 40 guest tour.
Can I take a wine tour before or after the conference?
Yes. We host four private tours for parties of 2 to 7, from $225 NZD per person for four hours to $780 NZD per person for the seven hour Great Wine Capital Reserve, on which every stop is a Best Of Wine Tourism winner. We collect you from your accommodation.
Where can I meet Duncan Darroch during the conference?
Duncan hosts the Best Of Wine Tourism award winners tour on Monday 19 October, exhibits at the B2B Trade Event at Napier War Memorial Centre from 9am to 12pm on Wednesday 21 October, attends the International Wine Tasting at Black Barn Market at 6pm the same evening, and speaks at Knowledge Day on Thursday 22 October in the 10am to 12pm session Building sustainability into your strategy. All times are New Zealand time.
What time zone are the times on this page?
All times are New Zealand time. In October New Zealand is on daylight saving time, 13 hours ahead of UTC.
How do I contact you from overseas?
Email info@elecexec.co.nz, phone +64 6 211 2600, or message +64 21 025 87832 on WhatsApp, which works from any country.
Book conference transport
Tell us your flights and your plans.
Phone +64 6 211 2600, message us on WhatsApp +64 21 025 87832, email info@elecexec.co.nz, or use the form. Mention the conference in your notes.