July 2026: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is an export success story, with the wine style loved around the world. Because New Zealand is geographically distant from its major export markets, shipping unpackaged wine for bottling in the destination market has become mainstream in little more than a decade. Recent industry data shows that since 2024, a greater volume of New Zealand wine has been exported in bulk format than bottled at source.

However, New Zealand aromatic wines such as Sauvignon Blanc rely on fragile volatile compounds that are sensitive to oxygen exposure and temperature variation. As bulk shipping volumes continue to increase, the industry's challenge is not whether bulk shipping can work, but how it can be managed consistently and predictably so that wines land in the market in the same condition they left the winery.

The Bragato Research Institute (BRI) has recently undertaken a literature review to consolidate current knowledge on the preservation of quality and style when shipping unpackaged wines in bulk, provide recommendations for best practices where appropriate, and identify knowledge gaps for further research.

Other exporting countries such as Australia and South Africa have successfully implemented large-scale bulk shipping programmes, demonstrating the commercial viability of the model and creating competitive pressure for New Zealand producers. Photo: Bragato.

July 2026: New research from BRANZ shows homes are warmer in winter than in the early 2000s, but many bedrooms still fall below recommended temperatures overnight.

The findings come from the Household Energy End-use Project 2 (HEEP2) - New Zealand's most comprehensive study of indoor temperature conditions and energy use since the original HEEP research. The indoor temperatures report, published today, is the first in a three-part series, with reports on indoor moisture and household energy use to follow.

HEEP2 builds on the original HEEP study (1999-2005), enabling direct comparison over time. It includes more than 750 households across New Zealand, with a subset of homes monitored continuously for 12 months to measure electricity use and track temperature and humidity in living areas and bedrooms. The data spans regions and housing types, providing a national picture of how New Zealanders live.

New Zealand living rooms are warmer in winter than they were two decades ago, with average temperatures up 2.6-3.5°C across the day. Evening living rooms now average 20.4°C, above the recommended minimum of 18°C.

Despite overall gains, bedrooms remain significantly colder than living areas, especially overnight. Photo: BRANZ.