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NW: Ripe 2026 will be combining all the favourite additions over the years, some highlights (on top of the world class wineries and music) will be the Masterclass presentations, guided ‘wine walks’, Gather Markets, Glendhu Social Club by Scapegrace and Brews x Views by local brewing legends Rhyme and Reason.
NW: Think amazing food and beverage options surrounded by absolutely stunning views of the lake and surrounding mountains. Ripe is a celebration of all things Central Otago, great weather, scenery and local producers punching above their weight producing world class wine and food.
NW: Ripe is hosting 25 of Central Otago’s best wineries, this event is so popular that we have a waiting list of wineries but we purposely choose to restrict sites so vendors and attendees get a more intimate vibe, this allows great conversations with winemakers, producers and attendees. To keep everyone happy we also have a cocktail bar and a beer bar so everyone can find their favourite refreshments on the day.
We also carefully select food vendors so we have a wide range of options available, we recommend getting small portions so you can try from a range of our tasty treat providers.
NW: For those that have been to Glendhu Bay they know how amazing it is out there.
For those who haven’t been there yet, imagine quenching your thirst watching awesome live music with the backdrop being unobstructed views of Lake Wānaka and surrounding mountains. To top it off, it is across the road from Glendhu Bay campground one of the most scenic campgrounds in NZ and a very short walk to the event site.
NW: We have found ourselves as leaders in the event space with regards to sustainability initiatives, when we found ourselves struggling to find providers of re-usable serve-ware at our scale, so we got imaginative to find a way around the issue. Beginning at our first event in 2021, we have continued to build stock of plates, cutlery, pizza boards, pie dishes and now even fabric napkins!
With the help of the Glendhu Station worm farm, we divert the majority of waste from landfill which we are proud to achieve year on year.
NW: The goal is again to be waste free, this is currently measured by having over 90% diversion from landfill. We achieved this earlier in the year with our sister festival The Valley in Queenstown, so now we hope that Ripe can become waste free and continue to be so for years to come.
NW: We are an outlet for the amazing producers of the region to showcase their products to locals and visitors alike. This is shown by the long list of wineries we have keen to bring their products each year. Unfortunately we don’t have space for everyone so we try and keep a mix of our longtime supporters while bringing on new wineries each year to keep the offerings fresh for our returning guests – of which we have many!
NW: Feedback from previous attendees is that they love the space available and relaxed feel of the event so we don’t think increasing the current capacity of 4000 is a good idea. One option is that it grows into a 2 day festival with different wineries each day so you can go to one or both days. As the event develops, we will add more side events to match, for now we want to perfect the festival experience before spreading our focus too far and sacrificing attention to the main product.
NW: This event is primarily Wine focussed but we have a wealth of amazing restaurants and chefs in the region too. Wānaka could easily host an event where local food producers are showcased and we would love to be involved in making it happen!
NW: That’s too easy!
