New Zealand Trade and Enterprise plans to spend $2.1 million to help build New Zealand's wine brand in China, the United States and northern Europe.
Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce says the money will help increase consumer awareness of the New Zealand wine industry, and help position it at the premium end of wine markets.
Mr Joyce says the focus in the US will be on Chicago, New York and San Francisco and in northern Europe on Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands.
New Zealand Winegrowers says the initiative is something the wine industry has been working on for some time.
Chief executive Philip Gregan says there are significant opportunities for New Zealand wine sales to grow in China, the US and northern Europe.
"I think in these markets the New Zealand category is not that well developed," he says. "We need to get the story about New Zealand wine out into the marketplace... That will provide opportunities for individual brands to prosper."
The industry has been exporting to countries such as Britain and Australia for decades, Mr Gregan says, but a lot of development work is needed in other markets.
Mr Gregan says the five-year goal is to build a solid platform on which wine companies can thrive.
