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What is a WSMP?

A wine standards management plan (WSMP) demonstrates how you meet requirements under the Wine Act 2003. It is made up of:

  • a completed WSMP (a customised document or an MPI-issued model)
  • a winery site plan (or plans if more than one site). This may be included as part of the WSMP model.

Wine businesses that need a WSMP

You are a wine business if you do any or all of the following:

  • crushing or pressing a commodity for juice
  • fermenting a commodity into juice or wine
  • making additions to juice or wine
  • storing, blending, or mixing wine
  • bottling or otherwise packaging wine.

A wine business could do anything from receiving commodities (such as grapes, fruit, vegetables, grains, or honey) through to dispatching packaged and labelled wine.

Some small winemakers and wine businesses are exempt from registering a WSMP.

Wine businesses exempt from needing a WSMP

Sharing facilities and your WSMP

A WSMP is linked to a specific place where wine is made – normally a winery. A winery may be used by more than one winemaker or by more than one business.

There are 3 options for winemakers who share winemaking facilities.

  1. Each winemaker has an individual WSMP.
  2. There is one WSMP that covers all wine made at that winery. One winemaker takes responsibility for the WSMP and assumes responsibility for all winemaking activities at that winery.
  3. There is one WSMP for the winery, but the winemakers who share the facilities also share responsibility for the WSMP. Each winemaker must make sure all records and relevant documents are available when the WSMP is verified.

Whatever decision is made, all parties need to understand what was decided and what they are responsible for. Winemakers may decide to make formal agreements.

Who to contact

If you have questions about wine standards management plans, email wine.rules@mpi.govt.nz

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