Wine and Liquor

Bell Gully has forged a strong reputation as advisors to a range of alcohol industry interests over several decades.

Our advice spans environmental and resource management issues, licensing, food standards and labelling, trade law for exports, and intellectual property and promotions. We also advise on competition and other commercial considerations, as well as public health issues.

We provide pre-publication clearance advice on all aspects of advertising as well as clearance and competitor review advice on composition, vintage and labelling requirements for all food and beverage products. We advise wine and liquor importers on New Zealand market requirements.

We advise on legislation such as the Sale of Liquor Act, the new Wine Act, the Winemakers Act, the Wine Levy Act, the Commodity Levy Act, the Geographical Indications Act, the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, the Advertising Standards Code, the Fair Trading Act and ACC.

Among our clients are many New Zealand winemakers and grape growers, as well as their representative body NZ Winegrowers, to whom we provide advice on national planning and strategic issues, as well as commercial matters.

Senior partner David McGregor acts for various interests within the wine industry and is honorary solicitor to New Zealand Winegrowers. He has advised on the development and drafting of all legislative matters for the Wine Institute since 1974, including the Winemakers Levy Act 1976, the Winemakers Act 1981, the Sale of Liquor Act 1989, the Geographic Indications Act 1994 and the Wine Act 2003. He sits on the committee of the Australasian chapter of AIDV, the international wine lawyers' association.