The News
New Zealand Winegrowers launched “The Great White Wine Toast” campaign to advocate for an official white wine emoji. The campaign highlights New Zealand’s renowned white wines, including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnays, Pinot Gris, and Albariño. The initiative coincides with International Sauvignon Blanc Day (1 May), International Pinot Gris Day (17 May), and International Chardonnay Day (21 May). The campaign argues that the lack of a white wine emoji does not reflect the global popularity of white wine.
The New Zealand Winegrowers “Great White Wine Toast” campaign is more than a novelty push; it’s a strategic brand‑visibility effort that could influence shelf placement and marketing tactics for the country’s white‑wine sector.
It demonstrates how a national winegrower can leverage digital culture to reinforce its market positioning, especially when the world’s most consumed style still lacks an official emoji.
The initiative is built around three facts. First, New Zealand ships about 95 % of its wine as white varieties—a major export engine that underscores the country’s prominence in white‑wine production. Second, the Unicode Consortium approves only fifty new emojis a year, so even popular requests face a steep filter. Third, a recent review shows the white‑wine emoji ranks among the ten most requested unapproved proposals—public pressure keeps it on the Technical Committee’s radar.
Those numbers show that while white wine represents roughly 30 % of global consumption, New Zealand is targeting a national brand identity. The campaign isn’t about instant demand spikes; it’s about embedding a symbol that bars and retailers can use during the trio of international white‑wine days in May.
The May 1 toast aligns with International Sauvignon Blanc Day, giving a simple hook for social media. Shops can use hashtags such as #WhiteWineEmoji or #GreatWhiteWineToast to highlight New Zealand whites throughout the week.
Distributors should watch Unicode’s approval timeline. Even a top‑ten unapproved proposal still needs formal submission, community support and technical assessment—steps that can stretch months or even years. Until then, distributors may see only modest changes in demand but can use the hashtag to maintain visibility for New Zealand whites.
On‑premise operators can act right away by weaving the May 1 toast into menus and social media posts. Adding a white‑wine emoji to ordering screens or displays gives an instant, campaign‑aligned visual cue. The crucial part is pairing that symbol with a genuine story—showing New Zealand’s crisp aromatics so the use feels authentic rather than gimmicky.
Retail buyers will find that the white‑wine emoji remains a high‑profile, though still unapproved, symbol. It may not change shelf placement for now, but its presence in a wider cultural dialogue could lift foot traffic for New Zealand whites during seasonal pushes.
Original Press Release
Today, New Zealand Winegrowers launched “The Great White Wine Toast,” a global public campaign calling for the creation of an official white wine emoji and spotlighting New Zealand’s world-renowned white wines - from its famed Sauvignon Blanc to its elegant Chardonnays, Pinot Gris, Albariño and more.
Despite the global popularity of white wine, there is currently no dedicated white wine emoji across digital platforms. The campaign aims to change that. “Wine culture has evolved, but our emojis haven’t,” says Charlotte Read, General Manager Brand, New Zealand Winegrowers. “Red wine has an emoji. Champagne has an emoji. Cocktails have several. But one of the world’s trending wine styles - refreshing, vibrant white wine - doesn’t have a voice. We believe New Zealand, a world leader in refreshing and expressive white wines, is the perfect champion for this movement.”
The campaign comes at a time when New Zealand’s top three exported white wine varieties are internationally celebrated with International Sauvignon Blanc Day (1 May), International Pinot Gris Day (17 May) and International Chardonnay Day (21 May), all falling in the same month.
A Global Icon, Missing in Action
While the standard red wine glass emoji is widely used, it does not represent the promise of the refreshing enjoyment from a glass of white wine. The campaign argues that emoji diversity should reflect real-life food and drink culture - particularly as emoji use continues to grow across social platforms and messaging. The campaign includes a proposed white wine emoji design, featuring a pale-gold wine in a classic glass - inspired by the crisp, aromatic character of New Zealand’s most beloved white wine styles.
Global Advocacy Effort
The campaign will encourage wine lovers worldwide to show their support through:
· A public petition urging Unicode to introduce the white wine emoji
· Social media participation using #WhiteWineEmoji
· A global toast across time zones planned for “The Great White Wine Toast,” where white wine lovers worldwide are encouraged to raise a glass of New Zealand white wine on International Sauvignon Blanc Day (May 1) and using #WhiteWineEmoji and #GreatWhiteWineToast
· Continuing to raise a glass of New Zealand white wine during the month of May and posting on social media using #NZWine #WhiteWineEmoji #PourYourselfAGlassOfNZ
The campaign culminates in a formal emoji submission to the Unicode Consortium, backed by petition signatures, social engagement data, and cultural relevance evidence.
Why New Zealand?
New Zealand is known globally for producing some of the world’s most distinctive white wines, and its pioneering Sauvignon Blanc reshaped the category. New Zealand’s unique southerly geographical location and maritime climate provide perfect conditions for growing white grapes that retain a natural backbone of acidity across a wide range of varieties. As all of the country’s winegrowing regions are close to the sea and coupled with long hours of sunshine and often crisp night temperatures, it’s the ideal recipe for producing vibrant lifted fruit characters seen in New Zealand white wines. “New Zealand white wines are instantly recognizable, defined by bright fruit flavors and a distinctly refreshing style”, says Charlotte. “It embodies everything a white wine emoji should represent, and if any region deserves to convince the consortium the world needs a white wine emoji, it’s New Zealand.”
Sources consulted (web research):
- Nz Has Entered The Chat Push For Official White Wine Emoji Underway
- New Zealand Continues To Lead Global Push For The Worlds First White…
- New Zealand Winegrowers Launches May Campaign With White Wine Emoji P…
- Nz Continues To Lead Global Push For The Worlds First White Wine Emoji
- New Zealand Continues To Lead Global Push For The Worlds First White…
- 148286
- News Press
- New Zealands Push For A White Wine Emoji Gains Momentum
Source: BevNET