Mr Bauer (49) is the first New Zealander to be nominated for the Winemaker of the Year Award at the Der Feinschmecker Wine Awards in Germany.
He hopes to travel to Europe for the eighth annual awards in March, one of just six winemakers nominated, with the other five from Italy, France, Portugal, Austria, and Germany.
At his Quartz Reef winery in Cromwell yesterday, Mr Bauer said his nomination would help promote New Zealand as a serious wine-producing country.
Similarly, it would show off Central Otago to an international audience.
"It's another little diamond in the crown of New Zealand wine," he said.
New Zealand Winegrowers Association chief executive Philip Gregan said Mr Bauer's nomination was a "significant achievement" and boosted the country's reputation for producing wine.
Mr Gregan described the awards as the "international wine Oscars".
"All Rudi's colleagues will be proud of his achievement," he said.
Mr Bauer said the nomination, the most prestigious in his 30-year career, was a "a credit to all the committed winemakers in New Zealand, as I have learned so much from them . . .
They are very sharing and passionate people."
Mr Bauer has had to decide whether to attend the award ceremony on March 20, when this year's harvest would be in full swing.
"We are still working out the logistics.
"I hope the weather will be in my favour and the sparkling wine grapes can be picked before I leave," he said.
Born in Austria, Mr Bauer trained in viticulture and winemaking in his home country as well as in Germany before moving to New Zealand in 1985.
He established Quartz Reef in 1996 after making award-winning wines for Rippon Vineyard at Wanaka and Giesen in Canterbury.
Mr Bauer specialises in pinot noir, pinot gris and methode traditionelle sparkling wine made from pinot noir and chardonnay grapes.
