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.”
Dining and Cooking