Steps to exporting New Zealand grape wine

Narrator: “In this video, I’m going to give you a quick introduction to using the MPI wine export certification system online. To access the system, you can type winecert.mpi.govt into your browser, or you can just Google MPI wine e-Cert and it’s the first result that comes up.

Once you get to this landing page, you’ll need to use your RealMe login. If you don’t have a RealMe login you’ll need to create one, but it’s the same login you might have used to access the company’s office for instance. The first time you enter, you may need to provide an activation key, which will be supplied to you by MPI.

Once you’re in this home screen, you’ll have different options available to you depending on your level of access to the system. The main menu is here on the left. This link lets you add a batch and this one requests a consignment. This link lets you request a free sales advice statement. These are issued to enable product registrations in some markets.

The search feature lets you search through all your submissions on the system. When you hover on it, you can find batches, samples, requests and export information. Hovering on ‘Data Management’ lets you find consignees and exporters, as well as adding new ones. You can also find freight forwarders and add your contacts.

On the main screen, you’ll also see these two bars: ‘Batch Management’ and ‘Consignment Management’. Both bars include ‘Action Required’ buttons. If you click on these, they’ll show you any items that need your input or any batches or consignments you’ve been working on recently. Under ‘Batch Management’, you’ll also see current testing which shows any tests you have underway.

This button will display any expiring batches. ‘Consignment Management’ also includes ‘Recently Actioned’, so you can quickly access a consignment you’ve been working on.

Underneath the left-hand side menu, there’s a menu for helpful PDFs. These guides let you navigate the e-Cert system, so you can refer to them at any time. They give you more details and walk you through the system every step of the way.

Now, I’m going to start by searching for a batch so you can see what’s displayed. This form shows you all the fields and you can enter any one of them to narrow down the choices displayed below. That means you can filter by any qualifier, whether it’s your code, the country it’s being exported to or the grape variety.

The same system works with sample searches and request searches. When you’ve picked a batch by clicking the batch number, you can see a batch menu at the top. Any red text tells you about actions that need to be taken before eligibility can be confirmed. Once you’ve completed a step, like adding packaging, the option will disappear from your top menu.

I’m going to go into the add packaging form as an example of what the forms look like. When you’re in these forms, you can move between fields using your mouse or by using the tab key.

A black arrow on the right indicates a drop-down menu. A red star here means it’s a required field so you can’t save your form without filling it in. If a field is greyed out, like these ones, you can’t enter any data. It usually means the field will populate automatically. These small arrows on the left of the titles will minimize or maximise the sections of the form. If your form hasn’t been successful, it usually means you have left a field empty or entered invalid information.

The system should show you where with a red outline around the field and red text. Like here, I’ve clicked on cases and I haven’t included the number of total letters.

That’s a very basic guide to using the wine e-Cert system. Remember, you can find more help in the PDFs under the important information bar on the left-hand side. For more detailed explanations, you might like to view the modules on adding a batch, adding packaging, adding samples and requesting a consignment."

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Narrator: “In this video, I’m going to show you how to add a batch using the MPI wine e-Cert system.

Once you’ve logged into the wine e-Cert system using your RealMe login, you’ll see a screen that looks a bit like this one. Depending on the different kinds of tasks you undertake in the system, you might have different levels of access.

The first step to adding a batch is to find ‘Add Batch’ on this left-hand side menu. Click ‘Add Batch’ and you’ll be taken through to this screen. You’ll see the name of your wine company at the top of the page. Underneath that, most of the fields have a red asterisk here.

That means you need to fill these out in order to add the batch. I’m going to start by adding the vintage and region. I’m going to pick 2017 and Central Otago.

Choose a special process if you need to, like single vineyard. Then, to choose a wine variety, start typing and you’ll see the search refined as you type. If I type P-I-N, up will pop all the options and as I keep typing, they will narrow down. You’ll see the year and wine name have automatically populated in these grey boxes. You can’t alter those.

The other two-name boxes are optional, and they allow you to include a brand name or another detail about the provenance of the wine within the permitted naming rules. I’m going to call my wine the 2017, Cloudy Skies, Central Otago Single Vineyard Pinot Noir, Block One.

Here you need to enter the WSMP Number of the WSMP that the wine was made under. Under the winemaker reference, you enter your code for traceability, identifying the particular tank of wine that you are confirming the WSMP on.

For colour and style, I’m going red (still wine). Then the tank volume, 10,000 litres.

You might want to add an alternative wine name here if you are going to do different branding for specific markets or customers. You can create wine names for documents if a name that’s different to the main wine name is required, but this must still meet labelling rules. Once you’ve filled in all the mandatory fields, press save.

If something’s not quite right, the system will let you know. You can see here it’s given me some red text letting me know that the tank volume (litres) should not be empty.

Once you’ve correctly filled out the form, you will see the view batch screen. You’ll notice that the red text at the top of the screen is telling me I need to create a sample before export eligibility can be confirmed. Before I do that though, the next step is actually to add packaging, which is covered in another module.

Hopefully you should now be able to successfully add a batch. Remember, you can find more help in the PDFs under the important information bar on the left-hand side of the page.”

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Narrator: “I’m now going to show you had to add packaging to your batch in the MPI Wine e-Cert system.

If you haven’t just entered your batch, you’ll need to start by opening the batch you want. You can find it under ‘Batch Management’, ‘Action Required’, or you can go over to ‘Search’, hover on ‘Search’ and click on ‘Batches”. This opens up the search batches screen. You can either type the search term into any of these fields or just scroll down for a list of your recent batches.

Click a batch number and it will take you through to this view batch screen. This top menu has options for your batch. It’s telling me to create a sample but for cases of wine, first I need to add packaging using this link. Remember that for bulk wine, you create a batch, then you go straight to adding a bulk sample. You should only add your packaging once you’ve filled your flexi and know what the final volume is.

So, I select add packaging and it opens up the edit batch screen, where it shows you all the information you’ve already entered. Scroll down a bit and you’ll see this packaging details bar. Start by selecting bulk or packaged, flexitank or cases. The format you pick here will be the only format that you can export the batch in, and you can’t put both packaged and bulk details on the same batch.

First, I’m going to show you how you would add bulk packaging to this batch. So, I’m going to pick ‘bulk (flexitanks)’ here that pops me up some more options. First, I’m going to put in the packager WSMP. Now I can add my filling runs, starting with the date. This field gives you a calendar to choose your date. Then add your reference and the litres, and you can click calculate total litres.

I can add another run using this ‘add run’ button. But if I’ve made a mistake and I want to delete this second run, I can choose this check box and it gives me the option here to delete runs.

Once the packaging details are saved, you cannot change them from bulk to packaged or packaged to bulk. Now I’m going to show you how you would add package details to a different batch. I’ve switched over to this batch of Pinot Grigio and I’m going to choose packaged instead of bulk and you can see that gives me different options. Again, I start with the packaging WSMP and the bottler who bottled the wine or filled the flexi.

Then I fill in the number of cases, extra bottles, size, date and a reference. I’m going 100 cases, 2 extras, 6 per case. I’ve only got one bottle size option here. If you bottle to various sizes, you’ll need to load each bottle size as a separate run. When it comes to the bottler reference, remember this must match what is on the bottles. MPI uses it to match up the bottles to the paperwork.

When you’ve done that and checked it, you need to select this ‘complete’ tick box. The box can only be ticked on or after the date of packaging. The bottling is not yet complete if you come back and tick it later, but your eligibility won’t be assessed until it’s ticked.

You can add another run here using this button and again, if you want to delete it, use this checkbox, and then select delete runs. The total litres will be calculated here and cannot significantly exceed the estimated tank volume for the batch, which is what I’ve done. This information gets used later when you’re processing your eligibility. Remember you can only save bulk or packaged formats to a batch and not both. Don’t enter your packaging details until you know if you’re exporting the wine as bulk or packaged product. When you’ve saved the packaging information, you can click save.

Now you’ll notice here this red text is telling me it didn’t work, and the reason is I left out my bottler reference and so once you’ve filled in all the correct fields, you will be able to save it. Now I’ve got it right, it’s taking me back to my view batch screen. The next step, as the red writing is telling me, is to create a sample. You can also look at what else needs to be done by looking in the batch status section. Here you can see how your export eligibility is progressing and anything that may still need to be done or that could be delaying it.

Are you still finding the system tricky? Try watching the introduction to Wine e-Cert screen record for a few tips or try the other modules for advice on specific tasks. And remember, you can find more help in these PDFs under the important information bar on the left-hand side of the page.”

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Narrator: “In this video, I’m going to show you how to add samples to your batches in the MPI wine e-Cert system.

First, you need to find your batch. I’m going to hover over the search button and click batches and then scroll down to my most recent batch.

By clicking here on the batch number, it takes me through to this view batch screen, which shows me all the details for my batch. At the top here, I have my batch menu. By clicking ‘add package sample’, I get to this screen. At the top, I have a summary of my batch and then further down, I can add in my sample details. I only have the option of adding a bottling date because this batch was packaged in cases.

If I had chosen a batch packaged in bulk, I’d have to add a bulk sample. You can see the bottling date and reference have been automatically populated from the information I added earlier. That will happen if there’s just one packaging run. If there’s more than one, you will have to choose that using the drop-down menu.

Then, I can put in the date the sample was collected using the calendar field. Let’s say Wednesday 31st of May. When I scroll further down, I will see the option to provide the sensory declaration response. When I select confirm here, the assessment date will auto-fill, together with the name of the experienced winemaker. This name is drawn from the person who had logged into the wine e-Cert system at the time in making the declaration. If you are making this declaration on behalf of the experienced winemaker, please contact MPI through the wine.query inbox and provide the name of the experienced winemaker, so that the name in the declaration is accurate.

Now, if this wine is not going to the EU or Brazil, I can save at this point and the process of adding a sample is complete. But for the EU and Brazil, I’m going to need to use this ‘add chemistry test’ button up here. Once I’ve clicked on it, I can scroll down and see that there is an extra section to fill out at the bottom of the form. If I want to get rid of this at any point, I can click ‘delete chemistry test’.

The first step here is to select the lab from the drop-down menu and the chemistry test required. The choices are ‘EU’ and ‘EU and Brazil’. In this instance, I will select ‘EU’. Then, I can put in the expected alcohol content, say 12%. This field is optional so if you leave it blank the information will still save.

I will now click ‘save’ and this red text here at the top of the screen tells me that the sample created was successful. Scrolling down further, I can see the wine test number here. This is a number that needs to be put on the sample that is sent to the chemistry lab. Remember that sample results are valid for a limited time; three months for bulk wine and for packaged products it’s two years for sensory and one year for chemistry.

By going to the batch, I can see here that my sensory testing sample was passed, and my chemistry testing sample is created. Once this has been completed by the lab, it will show as being completed.

The next step is to request a consignment and you can see this in another video. Remember you can always find more help and details in the PDFs under the important information section on the left-hand side of the page.”

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Narrator: "In this video, I'm going to show you how to add ingredients to your batches following EU eligibility selection in the MPI wine e-Cert system.

First, you need to find your batch. I'm going to hover over search, select batches and then scroll down to my most recent batch and select the batch number.

Here it takes me through to the view batch screen, which shows me all the details for my batch. At the top here, I have my batch menu. By clicking 'EU Eligibility', I get through to this screen.

I now need to complete the EU eligibility details for this wine – the Geographic Indication and EU Wine Category. For this wine the Geographic Indication is North Canterbury, and the EU Wine Category is Wine. Now I also need to make this declaration here regarding the oenological practices by selecting this button. Once I have done this, I scroll down and select save. This brings me back to the main screen.

As this wine is subject to the new EU ingredient requirement the ‘Add Ingredients’ tab now appears as part of my batch menu.

When I select this, I see this red text here reminding me that the ingredients selected must match what is on my label.

I will now go ahead and add the ingredients by selecting the 'add ingredient' button here. When I do this the following boxes appear. I have an 'ingredient', 'functional category', 'E number' and the option to 'use E number of VI-1'.

The first ingredient I am going to add is grapes as this is the first ingredient that appears on my label. You will see that the functional category drop down menu defaults to ‘no functional category’ and that no E number is auto populated here. That is because grapes do not have a functional category or E number.

To add another ingredient, which will be the second ingredient that appears on my label, I will now select 'add ingredient' again. The next ingredient that appears on my label is citric acid so I will go to the drop-down menu and select 'citric acid'.

In the functional category drop down menu I can see that citric acid is associated with two functional categories, acidity regulator and stabilising agent. As its primary use in my wine was as an acidity regulator, I will select that option. I can also see that citric acid has a corresponding E number. As the term ‘citric acid’ rather than the E number appears on my label I will not select this check box.

The last ingredient on my label is sulphur dioxide so I will add that by going to the drop down menu and selecting 'sulphur dioxide'. You can see that the functional category auto completes to 'preservative and antioxidant'. I can also see that an E number has auto populated this field here. Because the E number appears on my label I will select this check box here so that it also appears on my VI-1 document because these need to match.

If for any reason I want to delete any ingredients I can select the box on the left and click ‘delete ingredient’. I am also able to edit any fields by selecting something new, and this will flow on through and the functional category and E numbers will be auto completed where relevant.

I will now revert back to my original ingredient list and find citric acid as an acidity regulator, and I do not want the E number on my VI-1. My last ingredient, sulphur dioxide, preservative and antioxidant and once again because E 220 appears on my label I also need to select here that I want it to appear on my VI-1.

Once I have completed entering my ingredients against my batch I scroll down to the bottom of the page and select save.

Scrolling down on this page I can see the ingredients that I have entered here.

Note that EU eligibility for a batch can only be confirmed by the WSMP owner where ingredients are required after they have been entered.

If any edits needs to be made following confirmation by the WSMP owner this can occur by selecting the edit button at the top of the main batch screen. These changes will need to be reconfirmed by the WSMP owner before EU eligibility is reinstated again.

The next step is to request a consignment and you can see this in another video. Remember you can always find more help and details in the PDFs under the important information section on the left-hand side of the page."

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Narrator: “This video is going to run you through requesting a consignment to export your wine. You won’t be able to request a consignment for a particular batch until you’ve completed the other steps, creating the batch, adding packaging and completing the sampling process. But once you’ve done all that, it will be on your available list of wines to export. If you’re going through this process and you can’t see your batch on the list, it’s either not eligible for that country or it’s a different packaging format.

Start by using this left-hand side main menu and clicking ‘request consignment’. You’ll see your company name has already been populated at the top of the form. Fill in your order number here. Choose a destination country. The country you choose will limit the eligible wines available to you. If you choose an EU country or Brazil, only eligible wines for those markets will be able to be selected.

If this wine is being exported by another party, by ticking this check box you have the option to enter the exporter’s name in this field. If it’s a new exporter, this button lets you add their details directly into the system. Put in their name and address and they’ll be added to your list, or you can go back to the ordinary drop-down list and pick one of your usual exporters.

Then choose the consignee, the destination details for where you’re sending the wine. Again, you can use the drop-down menu, or you can click new consignee and add their details manually.

The transport section lets you choose sea or air freight, as well as a shipping date. It’s important to check the shipping date because it’s easy to get this wrong. You’ll see the date is automatically populating with tomorrow’s date, but I can change that using the calendar.

If you’re exporting to Brazil, a port of discharge will open up here. You’ll need to enter a specific Brazilian port. The freight forwarder section lets you choose an existing freight forwarder. If the freight forwarder company you want to use is not on this drop-down list, you will need to contact MPI to get the company added.

Under packaging details, is this flexitank or bottled wine? And then, from here, you can choose available, relevant wines that meet the market requirements for that destination. You can use the filter to find something you want, typing in ‘rosé’ for instance, and then narrowing your search.

Once you’ve found a batch that you want to use, tick the wine using the check box and scroll down here and click on ‘add wines’ under the line items bar.

Looking at this specific wine, I can see there’s over 3,000 available litres. I’m going to export 100 cases and 2 extras, 6 bottles per case and 750mls. That gives me 451 litres, which is well within the amount I have available. Now, I’m going to need to adjust the total number of cases manually to account for the 2 extra boxes, so my total cases will be 101. I can add several different wines at once if they’re bottled but if you’re doing bulk consignments to the EU each flexitank needs to have its own separate consignment. Just work through each flexitank, creating one export consignment per tank. Once you’ve filled in all the fields, click submit.

MPI will check your application and if it’s approved, all the required documentation will be issued. If there is any problem with your application, its status will be marked as incomplete with details of what was wrong for you to correct by editing the application resubmitting it. The most common error is an incorrect shipping date so you might like to double check that field.

Hard copies of the official assurance documents are also sent out but remember these go to the freight forwarder so if you don’t receive these, don’t panic – check with your freight forwarder.

If you need to generate other documents, you can find help in the help guide titled “creating a consignment request and obtaining export documentation”.

Hopefully you can now request consignments easily. For more information, watch our other modules on adding batches, adding packaging, adding samples and general tips for the wine e-Cert system. Remember you can always find more detailed help on the PDFs under the important information bar on the left-hand side of your screen.”

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