Winemaking and viticulture date back to New Zealand's colonial era. In fact, there is a huge cultural exchange within these regions. North Canterbury is simply the top half of the larger Canterbury GI north of the Rakaia River, and Waipara Valley, a small area about 60 kilometres (37mi) north of Christchurch which accounts for the majority of Canterbury's total vineyard plantings. [11], Finally, the advent of jet airliners in the late 1960s and early 1970s ushered in the "OE", short for "overseas experience", where young, typically well-educated New Zealanders spent time living and working overseas, often in Europe. As of the 2017 vintage, there were more than 65 hectares (160 acres) planted in vines, and 21 commercial grape growing/winery operations within the Matakana GI. [21], Mthode traditionelle sparkling wine is produced in New Zealand. This creates a significantly warmer mesoclimate. The effect of consistently cool nights is to produce fruit, which is nearly always high in acidity. Not too appetizing, right? A genuine cool climate, with a long, dry autumn, provides ideal ripening conditions for Pinot Noir and other varietals, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Syrah. Around the turn of the century, Heron's Flight replanted its mainly Bordeaux varieties with the Italian varieties Sangiovese and Dolcetto, and many of the newer wineries, have also planted Tannat and Petit Verdot alongside the usual French varieties, as well as the Italian and Spanish varieties Barbera, Nebbiolo, Albario, Roussanne, and Montepulciano. Curious about what New Zealand has to offer besides Sauvignon Blanc? The Geographical Indication of Kumeu is a small sub-region west of Auckland City, surrounding the towns of Huapai and Kumeu, as far west as Waimauku, and east to the southern edge of the town of Riverhead. [6] Wine writer George Taber recounts Cloudy Bay is "what many people consider to be the world's best Sauvignon Blanc". She is a managing partner at Park Avenue Fine Wines and owns Parallel Food & Drink in Portland, Oregon. Wine exports to China, whilst still only a small proportion of export revenue, are remarkable for having grown more than tenfold in the decade since 2008. While the early excitement passed, the Canterbury region has witnessed the development of Pinot Noir as the dominant red variety, particularly in the now dominant Waipara sub-region. For example, it is common to see an Auckland producer market a "Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc" or a Marlborough producer market a "Gisborne Chardonnay". Early success in the Hawke's Bay Region in the 1960s by McWilliams and in the 1980s by Te Mata Estate, led to a phase in the 1980s and 1990s of mainly Cabernet Sauvignon planting and wine production by large producers such as Corbans, McWilliams, and Mission Estate. [18], Martinborough is a small wine village located 75 kilometres (47mi) east of Wellington by road, in the South Wairarapa. Difficulty, and Burn Cottage. [47] Some wineries and industry pundits view the Chinese market as having a large untapped potential. In 2020, these smaller producers, with a vineyard area of no more than 20 hectares (49 acres), represented over three-quarters of New Zealand's wineries. So if you're shopping in September, you may notice that they're already selling this year's wines! The end of the 1960s saw the end of the New Zealand policy known as the "six o'clock swill", where pubs were open for only an hour after the working day ended and closed all day Sunday. Not only did the wines have the distinctive acidity and abundant fruit of New Zealand wines, but they demonstrated a great deal of complexity, with aromas and flavours not common in New Zealand wine and normally associated with Burgundy wine. Waipara, in Canterbury, represents another soil type. [18] The combination of high summer temperatures and high rainfall can be challenging for viticulture; although irrigation is not needed, the humidity can encourage some pests and diseases. This helps the wines offer that ripe tropical fruit balanced by lots of refreshing acidity. Rippon, Felton Road, Mt. The area contains north-facing limestone hillsides and escarpments, and Burgundy-like limestone alluvial soils. If you enjoy Pinot Noirs from the Willamette Valley in Oregon or California's Sonoma County, you should seek out Pinot Noir from New Zealand. [6], There are some producers dedicated to establishing other red grape varieties. The Gimblett Gravels is a former riverbed with very stony soils. Typically, their vineyards produced table wine and fortified wine to suit the palates of their communities. [18], New Zealand Winegrowers has also placed a growing emphasis on sustainability and organic certification, including monitoring and measuring water, energy, soil and pest management, waste reuse, land and biodiversity restoration, and social factors such as tourism impacts and staff training. Note: All wines provided as tasting samples for review consideration, with the exception of the Greywacke, Rippon, Felton Road, Mt. When you buy a bottle, you know that at least 85% of the wine is made in the year and from the grape on the labelbut that's about it. [20][45], Well-known Waitaki wine producers include Valli, Ostler, Q, and John Forrest.[45]. Like Merlot and Cabernet, it mostly sticks to the warmer climates of the North Island where it can ripen best. [37] Good examples of the region's Pinot Noir include those from Black Estate,[38] Bellbird Spring, Fancrest Estate, Muddy Water, Greystone, Waipara Springs, Pegasus Bay and Crater Rim. In an article in Decanter (September 2014), Bob Campbell suggests regional styles are starting to emerge within New Zealand Pinot Noir. Cooper suggested that this has to do with more Central Otago production becoming available in commercial quantities, than the relative qualities of the regions' Pinot Noir. At around this time, the first plantings of Pinot Noir in Central Otago occurred in the Kawarau Gorge. Because of the alternating seasons, it is very common to hear of winery interns traveling across the Pacific to work two harvests a year. New Zealand wine is produced in several of its distinct winegrowing regions. There is little discernible difference in styles of Chardonnay between the New Zealand wine regions; individual winemakers' recipes, use of oak, and the particular qualities of a vintage have tended to blur any distinction of terroir. While Sauvignon Blanc dominates the NZ white wine scene, Chardonnay is the pretty younger sibling who's just waiting to getting noticed. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Most of the vineyards are never too far from the cooling effect of the ocean, preserving acidity in the winesthis brightness leaves you ready for more after each sip. The answer is 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, or TCA for short. Although Chardonnay may be less fashionable than it was ten years ago (it has declined in vineyard area in the last ten years, losing ground to Pinot Gris), winemakers in 2016 reported strong sales and a recent upswing. [12], In 1973, Montana Wines, now Brancott Estate owned by Pernod Ricard, planted Marlborough's first vineyards and produced its first Sauvignon Blanc in 1979, labelled by year of production (vintage) and grape variety, in the style of wine producers in Australia. While vines have been on the island for over 150 years, for most of that time the industry was stymied by a temperance movement and phylloxera (an insect that devastated vineyards all over the world in the 19th and 20th centuries). Their partnership and innovation to pursue winemaking helped form the basis of modern New Zealand's viticulture practices. Many fledgling producers started out using contract fruit while waiting for their own vines to mature enough to produce production-quality fruit. [18] Liam Steevenson MW has described Waipara as possibly the "most exciting place to grow Pinot Noir". It is very common to find wines from New Zealand sold with screwcaps, also known as Stelvin closures. Matakana wineries are mostly small, family-run or "lifestyle" vineyards, with very small plots and non-commercial production volumes, usually dry-farmed on north-facing hill slopes. Despite being a new world wine region, the Chardonnays of New Zealand don't have too much in common with, say, riper examples from California. [citation needed], The late 1970s were early in the modern wine industry, and the comparatively low annual sunshine hours to be found in New Zealand discouraged the planting of red varieties. Along with Australia, New Zealand has been a leader in the adoption of screw caps for wines at all price points. [citation needed], Chardonnay is produced as far south as Central Otago, but plantings increase moving further north. New Zealand ros is made to drink immediately rather than age, resulting in the crisp, fresh, fruit-forward flavours popular with the New Zealand public. Naturally breezy conditions control vine vigour, creating lower yields of grapes with greater intensity. Most Chardonnays come from Marlborough, Hawke's Bay, or Gisborne. [17] Chardonnay makes up 85% of the vineyard area in Kumeu, with Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir making up most of the remainder. [7] This more than five-fold increase in vineyard area over just two decades has led to a similar increase in sales and export revenue. Contract growing is an example of the use of indigenous agro-industrial methods that predate the New Zealand wine industry. [18] Chenin Blanc was once more important, but the viticultural peculiarities of the variety, particularly its unpredictable cropping in New Zealand, have led to its disfavour. Today, the Le Brun family continues to produce well-awarded mthode sparkling wine, operating as No. New Zealand is best known for its Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, and more recently its dense, concentrated Pinot Noir from Marlborough, Martinborough and Central Otago.[5]. [50], Cloudy Bay Vineyards set a new standard for New World Sauvignon Blanc and was arguably responsible for the huge increase in interest in it, particularly in the United Kingdom. [citation needed], In a blind tasting of New Zealand Pinot Noir in 2006, Michael Cooper reported that of the top ten wines, five came from Central Otago, four from Marlborough and one from Waipara. While current winemaking technology is almost universally sterile and hygienic worldwide, the natural antibiotic properties of alcohol production were more heavily relied upon in the 1970s when the New Zealand wine industry started. Marlborough, with by far the largest plantings of Pinot, produces wines that are quite aromatic, red fruit in particular red cherry, with a firm tannic structure that provides cellaring potential.[20]. The late 1970s and early 1980s were not only pioneering times for production but also for marketing. Blends made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from the North Island around Hawke's Bay really shine. Producers include Waipara Hills, Pegasus Bay, Waipara Springs, Muddy Water, Greystone, Omihi Hills and Black Estate. In 2013, several Marlborough producers established Mthode Marlborough, a collaborative organisation to standardise and promote the brand both domestically and internationally.[23]. New Zealand is what what we call a 'new world' wine region. Its first annual sustainability report in 2016 states that 98% of NZ's vineyard area is certified under its Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand scheme. This compares with all top ten wines coming from Marlborough in an equivalent blind tasting in the previous year. [citation needed]. In the 1970s, the first vineyard to be planted was Pegasus Bay, which established a reputation for its Riesling wine. [citation needed]. Riesling is produced predominantly in Martinborough and the South Island, as is Gewrztraminer, although it is also planted extensively in Gisborne. Among the many long-established wineries, several, including Martinborough Vineyard, Schubert Wines, Te Kairanga, Ata Rangi, Palliser Estate, Luna Estate, Dry River, Escarpment, Te Hera and Craggy Range have become internationally recognised as premium producers of Pinot Noir. Central Otago is a sheltered inland area with a continental microclimate characterised by hot dry summers, short cool autumns, and crisp cold winters. This extends to some of the best in the businessTed Lemon of Sonoma's famed Littorai also makes wine at Burn Cottage in Central Otago, for example. There was an existing small-scale industrial infrastructure ready for winemakers to employ economically. The alluvial deposits are typically the local sandstone called greywacke, which makes up much of the mountainous spine of New Zealand. The most common use of land in New Zealand during this period was for animal agriculture, and the exports of dairy, meat, and wool dominated the economy. Some of New Zealand's oldest wineries are in Kumeu, established in the late 1800s by Croatian settlers working the Kauri gum fields. [39] Greystone Wines won the Decanter International Trophy for Pinot Noir in 2014 and the Air New Zealand Trophy for Pinot Noir. Featuring Chardonnay, Pinot, Noir, and more, this small island nation's wines are ready for you to take notice. In the 1980s, a shift away from cask wine for better quality, bottled still wine meant that huge areas of bulk varieties, most notably Mller-Thurgau, were uprooted and replaced with Chardonnay and Gewrztraminer, for which the region is well known today. In the same time period, Sauvignon Blanc has grown more than five-fold and Pinot Noir has doubled. This practice comes from a long tradition of focusing on place rather than grapeand very strict rules about what you're allowed to grow where. The vineyards are the highest in New Zealand at 200 to 400 metres (660 to 1,310ft) above sea level on the steep slopes of lakesides and the edges of deep river gorges, often in glacial soils. Wondering where to get started? In recent years, the hotter temperatures are allowing Auckland winemakers (for example Omaha Bay, Cooper's Creek, Heron's Flight, Matavino, and Obsidian) to experiment with Italian and Spanish grape varieties, such as Albario, Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Dolcetto, Temperanillo, and even Nebbiolo. It tends to be quite full bodied (for the variety), very approachable and oak maturation tends to be restrained. To the west, the Southern Alps temper the prevailing westerly winds and provide a rain shadow, and to the east, low coastal limestone ridges moderate the cool ocean winds. [10], For the first half of the 20th century, economic, legislative and cultural factors made wine a marginal economic activity. Some Northland wineries are also making wine from warmer climate grapes such as Montepulciano, Chambourcin and Pinotage. Consequently, Northland tends to produce ripe wines, with low acidity. [36] The region makes up the bulk of Canterbury's plantings, which by 2017 was a total vineyard area of 1,257 hectares (3,110 acres), well known for its Pinot Noir, of which 340 hectares (840 acres) is planted. In order of descending planting area, varieties grown in Canterbury outside Waipara Valley include Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay.[36]. New Zealand has long been best known for its Sauvignon Blanc, which dominates its wine industry. [42] Only 168 hectares (420 acres) of vineyards are planted outside the Waipara Valley GI boundary, concentrated in a few small areas such as West Melton, Banks Peninsula, Cheviot and Rolleston. [citation needed], By 2020, the Wairarapa had 126 vineyards with a total area of 1,067 hectares (2,640 acres), or about three per cent of the New Zealand total. UK wine writer Paul Howard praised New Zealand Pinot Noir in 2006, writing that "comparisons with Burgundy are inevitable" and that New Zealand Pinot Noir is: In that same year, Pinot Noir overtook Chardonnay as New Zealand's second most-planted variety, after Sauvignon Blanc. They are located fairly evenly throughout all wine regions, with the larger producers predominantly in Marlborough, Hawke's Bay, Gisborne, and Waipara. Waipara Valley is a Geographical Indication and sub-region of the larger Canterbury GI, about 60 kilometres (37mi) north of Christchurch. The Bordeaux style red wines that are produced are considered to be significantly ripe and full bodied, and some of the best in New Zealand. This led ultimately to a dramatic restructuring of the agricultural economy. Northland is the most northerly wine region in New Zealand, and thus closest to the equator. [19], As is the case for other New Zealand wine, New Zealand Pinot Noir is fruit-driven, forward and early maturing in the bottle. Another example of the adaptation of NZ methods toward the new industry was the universal use of stainless steel in winemaking adapted from the norms and standards of the New Zealand dairy industry. Styles vary across the country, so it's a bit hard to make generalizations, but most NZ producers try to embrace the balance that their climate affords them. You'll mainly find Pinot Noir from Marlborough, Central Otago, and Martinborough, which is on the southern tip of the North Island. .mw-parser-output .portalbox{padding:0}.mw-parser-output .portalborder{border:solid #aaa 1px}.mw-parser-output .portalbox.tleft{margin:0.5em 1em 0.5em 0}.mw-parser-output .portalbox.tright{margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1em}.mw-parser-output .portalbox>ul{display:table;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:175px;font-size:85%;line-height:110%;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .portalborder>ul{padding:0.1em;background:#f9f9f9}.mw-parser-output .portalbox>ul>li{display:table-row}.mw-parser-output .portalbox>ul>li>span:first-child{display:table-cell;padding:0.2em;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .portalbox>ul>li>span:last-child{display:table-cell;padding:0.2em 0.2em 0.2em 0.3em;vertical-align:middle}, .mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%;margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}, .mw-parser-output .side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #aaa;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em;background-color:#f9f9f9}.mw-parser-output .side-box-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{padding:0.25em 0.9em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-image{padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-imageright{padding:2px 0.9em 2px 0;text-align:center}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .side-box-flex{display:flex;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{flex:1}}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .side-box{width:238px}.mw-parser-output .side-box-right{clear:right;float:right;margin-left:1em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-left{margin-right:1em}}. Since Waiheke Island has a very small area of 92 square kilometres (36sqmi), the wines tend to carry a premium price because of the inherently small scale of the wineries, the cost of land and the increased cost of access to the island by boat. Almost every region is represented among the most highly rated New Zealand Chardonnays, which include wines from Kumeu River Estate (Kumeu), Church Road, Clearview, Sacred Hill, Villa Maria and Te Mata Estate (Hawke's Bay), Ata Rangi (Martinborough), Fromm (Marlborough), Neudorf (Nelson), Millton Estate (Gisborne). Today we'll introduce you to the area and the different types of wines you'll find coming from New Zealand. In 2000, the UK market represented half of New Zealand's total exports of NZ$168 million. While you're mostly likely to find New Zealand wines offering the tangy, aromatic style of Sauvignon Blanc, some producers are branching off. Try them out for yourself, starting with wines from Mission Estate Winerya producer whose history dates back to 1851. Relatively small yields enable Martinborough winemakers to devote themselves to handcrafting superior wines.