Following on from the success of our North America Roadshow in May 2025, Wine Australia will be taking the roadshow to different cities in April/May 2026, and you are invited to express your interest now, with a plan to open registration in November 2025.
We will be hosting activities in Vancouver, Minneapolis, Nashville and Boston in 2026, with specific dates for each city listed below.
- 28 April 2026: Minneapolis
- 30 April 2026: Vancouver
- 5 May 2026: Boston
- 7 May 2026: Nashville
In each city, we will plan a seminar for trade, followed by a walkaround / self-pour opportunity featuring white wines (still and sparkling) paired with food.
The UPA opportunity will be by SKU rather than a traditional table at a trade tasting, and wineries are not required to attend, although we do encourage winemakers to let us know if you plan to travel over, as there may be additional opportunities for in-store tastings and consumer-facing activities in the evening.
Similarly, importers and agents are encouraged to submit wines for inclusion, and invited to participate, but without a requirement to travel to pour your wines at the event.
More details and exact costs to follow in November, but for now, please indicate your participation interest through the link below.
Current distribution in the relevant markets is required for participation. This is not a new to market activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Roadshow FAQs
We consulted with US importers for their input, and in December 2024 offered them a list of 10 cities to rank in order of priority, and the top ranked cities were Boston, Nashville and Minneapolis, where we will be running activities in September 2025 and April/May 2026. In Canada, Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal will continue to be focus markets, supporting recent liquor board visits to Australia, and as we hosted events in Toronto and Montreal in May 2025, we will return to Vancouver in April 2026.
There were a number of reasons for this decision. Firstly, we have been asked by importers and wineries to innovate, to do something different to the tired format of traditional trade tastings. We agree that it is important to switch things up in order to attract trade and promote a ‘can’t miss’ event. We have also seen, through numerous events across the last couple of years, that white and sparkling wines generate a lot of enthusiasm, are usually the first bottles finished, and allow us to develop Australia’s identity beyond big, bold reds. White wines have also been trending better in this market, as seen in SipSource and other industry reports.
No. The focus on white wine is limited to the trade tasting. Seminars will continue to profile wines of all types.
No. Wines submitted for inclusion must have existing distribution in the markets included.
No. You are welcome to send winery or importer representatives, but the self-pour format does not require in-person participation.