About

The 2026 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect, returns with entries opening on Tuesday 25 August 2026.

Run by Wine Marlborough Ltd, representing the region’s grape growers and wine companies, the regional wine competition provides a relevant and credible platform for Marlborough producers to benchmark their wines and gain recognition for excellence.

Led by Chief Judge Stu Marfell, entries are assessed by panels of experienced judges and awarded trophies, gold, silver and bronze medals using the internationally recognised 100-point system. All wines are tasted blind under strict wine show protocols.

2026 Key Dates

Wine Samples due - Friday 9 October
Judging - 21-23 October
Industry Tasting - 24 October
Results Notified - 29 October
Celebration - 13 November

Awards

The Marlborough Wine Show plays an important role in developing the reputation of Marlborough wine, as well as being a key event to celebrate the brilliant winemaking and viticultural talent in the region.

Its core aims are to:

Champion Marlborough wine excellence and provenance.
Promote subregional diversity across wines grown in New Zealand’s largest wine region.
Foster and foster wine show judging talent within the region.

Please visit the Awards page to learn more about these trophies and view previous results. We would like to thank our partners for their support of these special awards.

2026 Information Links

Judging Team

Stu Marfell - Chief Judge

Stu was born and raised in the Awatere Valley, not far from the Vavasour Vineyard. A graduate of Lincoln University with a Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology, Stu joined Vavasour Wines in February 2003 as an assistant winemaker. Stu became chief winemaker in 2007. He has judged at many shows including Air NZ wine awards, Marlborough wine show and New world wine awards.

Murray Cook - Shadow Chief Judge

Murray has nearly two decades in wine since he began working in the vineyards of Central Otago in 2003. From there, he has enjoyed stints in Australia’s Yarra Valley, Champagne and Burgundy. Returning to New Zealand in 2008 he headed to Marlborough, working as a winemaker at Villa Maria Estate before starting with Dog Point Vineyard in late 2013.

Jennifer Docherty MW - Guest Judge

Jennifer Docherty is a Master of Wine — the first ethnically Chinese and Mandarin-speaking MW among around 420 worldwide, and one of only four residing in Hong Kong. She has over 16 years of experience in the wine industry, primarily as a buyer and educator across the UK, Hong Kong, and mainland China, and now works freelance as an educator (WSET and HKU SPACE), judge, and wine communicator championing the joy of drinking wine in moderation. She has chaired a judging panel at the IWC Sake Competition in London for a decade, and also holds a Master of Science in Applied Neuroscience from King’s College London alongside a current PhD at The University of Hong Kong.