The country's first and only master sommelier, Cameron Douglas, will be joined by Therese Herzog and Tim Hanni (master of wine) in overseeing the competitions, where entrants undergo blind tasting and a written exam.
Those in the sommelier competitions also take part in a service and selling test and a wine list exercise.
The sommelier of the year wins a trip to Paris and the French wine region of Champagne as the guest of Louis Roederer, and the junior winner gets a helicopter tour of Central Otago as a guest of Misha's Vineyard near Cromwell.
The young professional winner gets to be part of the Herzog Harvest Weekend and the vintage at Yealands Estate in Marlborough.
The competition is the brainchild of School of Food and Wine director Celia Hay, who says the aim is to create a challenging competition with great prizes to inspire existing and new talent.
"Our wines are taking on and competing extremely well with wines produced in more established international wine regions," she says.
"Wine growers are keen to ensure those who serve our wines also have the knowledge and expertise to provide the best customer experience."
All entrants can apply for a $200 grant to help them travel to Auckland for the competition. So if you can tell the difference between your chardonnay and chambourcin, know how to pour a flute of fizz, and can suggest what to sip with sirloin, you could be the next Kiwi wine star. Entries close on August 31 and details are at foodandwine.co.nz/Sommelier-Comp
Visitors to the Auckland Wine and Food Festival will also get the opportunity to really get to know their own "wine type". Like when everyone says, "Oh how can you not love sauvignon blanc?" and yet you get a severe case of squint-eye and gutsache every time you touch the stuff, this workshop will pop the cork on the best wines for your personal palate. Presented by United States-based Tim Hanni, (labelled "The Wine Anti-Snob" by the Wall Street Journal) this workshop will demonstrate a new way of identifying and expanding people's wine profiles through the MyVinotype concept.
It's a tool for consumers that assesses individual taste sensitivities and tolerances, then introduces them to wines that will appeal to their particular fusion of flavours.
Event organiser Celia Hay says Hanni has a passion for helping people to confidently and consistently find the wines they'll love. "Tim's seminar will help people learn more about their taste preferences and discover something unique about what they like and why."
Hanni believes people fall into four flavour profiles and these reveal what wines they're more likely to enjoy. Using sensory and behavioural research, Hanni has broken down these types through his What's Your Vinotype? assessment programme. It's a way to encourage wine-lovers to step out of their comfort zone and experiment with new wines. So why don't you road-test your tastebuds first by zooming to myvinotype.com, click on "vinotype me" and get cracking. A warning - it's very American-skewed so you'll need to get past references such as "do you like your coffee with loads of creamer", "altoid mints" and "cilantro". It also professes to know what type of labour your mother had when you were born and whether you like pina colada and walks in the rain.
The New Zealand Wine and Food Event is an annual two-day public event in Auckland offering a showcase of New Zealand and international wine, cooking workshops and master classes.
The public can purchase tickets for $29, which provide access to wine and food tastings where leading estates such as Te Mata, Pegasus Bay, Vinoptima and Dog Point will be represented. There is also a French regional tasting.
