New Zealand

Most New Zealand wine is produced in the ten major wine growing regions spanning latitudes 36° to 45° South and extending 1,600 kilometres. They are, from north to south – Northland, Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury/Waipara and Central Otago.[su_spacer size=”10″]

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[su_tab title=”Red Wine”]New Zealand red wines are typically made from a blend of varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and much less often Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec), or Pinot noir. Recently, in Hawkes Bay, there have been wines made from Syrah, either solely or blends, as well as Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Montepulciano.[/su_tab]

[su_tab title=”White Wine”]Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay predominate in plantings and production of New Zealand white wines. There is little discernible difference in styles for Chardonnay between the New Zealand wine regions so far. Individual wine makers and the particular qualities of a vintage are more likely to determine factors such as malolactic fermentation and the use of oak barrels for ageing.[su_spacer size=”10″]
New Zealand Sauvignon blanc has been described by some as “alive with flavours of fresh citrus fruit and cut grass”, and others as “cat’s pee on a gooseberry bush” (but not always as a criticism).[su_spacer size=”10″]
Other white varieties commonly include Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer, and less commonly Chenin Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Müller-Thurgau and Viognier.[/su_tab]

[su_tab title=”Sparkling Wine”]Excellent quality Methode Traditionelle sparkling wine is produced in New Zealand. Typically, it was Marlborough that was the commercial birthplace of New Zealand sparkling wine. Marlborough still produces a number of high quality examples, and has attracted both investment from Champagne producers such as Deutz and also champanois wine-makers like Daniel Le Brun. Other sparkling wines from Marlborough include Pelorus (from Cloudy Bay), and Lindauer.[/su_tab]

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