The man who helped put New Zealand wine on the map, Oz Clarke, has been inducted into the New Zealand Wine Hall of Fame. Clarke is the first person in the UK to receive this honour, and only the second non-Kiwi (after Australian David Hohnen in 2006) to be recognised for having made major contributions to the development and enhancement of the domestic and export-based wine industry in new Zealand.
A passionate New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc enthusiast and advocate, Clarke was presented with his certificate of membership at New Zealand House in London on May 6.
Clarke first visited New Zealand in 1987 as an overseas guest judge at the inaugural Air New Zealand Wine Awards, the country’s premier national wine competition. He came again a few years later to judge and has been a regular keynote speaker at the triennial Pinot Noir International events held in Wellington since 2001.
