Highlighting Global White Wine Culture
On 15th April, New Zealand Winegrowers launched a global campaign to introduce the world’s first white wine emoji. ‘The Great White Wine Toast’ campaign aims to spotlight New Zealand’s celebrated white wines, including its famed Sauvignon Blanc.
Celebrating New Zealand’s Wine Achievements
New Zealand exports wine to over 100 countries, making it the nation’s seventh largest export good. Exports reached $2.1 billion by June 2025. White wine accounts for about 95% of these global exports, with Sauvignon Blanc leading, followed by Pinot Gris and Chardonnay.
Charlotte Read, General Manager Brand at New Zealand Winegrowers, highlighted the gap in emoji diversity. “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,” she stated.
The campaign seeks to address this by urging wine enthusiasts globally to support a public petition calling on Unicode to introduce the white wine emoji. Social media users are encouraged to participate using the hashtag #WhiteWineEmoji.
A significant part of the campaign includes a global toast on International Sauvignon Blanc Day, 1st May. Participants worldwide are invited to raise a glass of New Zealand white wine and share their experiences on social media with #GreatWhiteWineToast.
New Zealand’s distinctive white wines benefit from the country’s unique climate and geography, providing ideal conditions for growing white grapes. This campaign underscores New Zealand’s leadership in producing refreshing white wines.
In Australia, one out of every two dollars spent on Sauvignon Blanc is for New Zealand wine, and one out of every three dollars spent on white wine also comes from New Zealand. This highlights the country’s strong presence in the white wine market.
Despite the global popularity of white wine, there is currently no dedicated white wine emoji across digital platforms. The campaign argues that emoji diversity should reflect real-life food and drink culture as emoji use grows across social platforms. The proposed white wine emoji design features a pale-gold wine in a classic glass, capturing the crisp, aromatic character of New Zealand’s beloved white wine styles.
The campaign aligns with celebrations for New Zealand’s top three exported white wine varieties, with International Sauvignon Blanc Day, International Pinot Gris Day on 17th May, and International Chardonnay Day on 21st May, all occurring in the same month.
