If Australia is considered a new-world wine-maker, then New Zealand must surely be the younger brother; and whilst the patriotism of the country wouldn’t allow for comparison, it has to be fair to say that without the successes of Australian exports, the rest of the world would have rarely ventured from the safety of Europe’s wine making regions. However, now that they have our attention, New Zealand can proudly boast its rightful place on the list of top wine producing countries.
New Zealand’s oldest existing vineyard was established in 1851 by the Roman Catholic Church in Hawkes Bay. The settlers who continued to arrive throughout the nineteenth century, including many beer and spirit loving Brits, generally considered winemaking to be of nominal importance. It wasn’t until 1973, when Britain entered the Economic Community which ended the historic trade terms for New Zealand’s meat and dairy products, that a dramatic restructuring of significant exporting products were considered. As vines flourish in low moisture and low soil fertility environments, New Zealand was able to literally look to the ground for the answer to its economic growth.
New Zealand has ten major wine growing regions, each with a significant diversity in climate and vine growing terrain. The New Zealand Wine industry illustrates this clearly through the harvesting dates of Chardonnay – in the warmer, humid regions of Auckland, Northland and Gisborne, Chardonnay tends to be harvested from late February or early March, whilst Central Otago, the most southern wine growing region, might harvest its Chardonnay grapes some six or seven weeks later in April.
It would be impossible to discuss New Zealand’s wine industry without acknowledging its greatest success, the Sauvignon Blanc. It has been hailed by many of the world’s most significant wine critics, finding particular success in the 1980s when there was a particular trend for this ’smoky’ wine which developed its significant taste through its traditional oak-aging process. One region in particular seems to have had more success with the Sauvignon Blanc and this is one of the more central wine making regions of New Zealand, Marlborough.
Marlborough’s first vines were planted in 1973, highlighting the fast rise in success of the country’s wine producing efforts. It has become New Zealand’s largest and best known winegrowing region where wines tend to possess distinctive zesty fruit flavours best demonstrated through the Sauvignon Blanc. With plentiful sunshine and cool nights, not to mention the free-draining alluvial ’subsoils’ found in the Wairau and Awatere River valleys, growing conditions are excellent. Whilst Marlborough’s star pupil is the Sauvignon Blanc, the region is also home to some particularly successful Chardonnay wineries, and the Pinot Noir and Riesling have also flourished here. Fans of sparkling wine may also be familiar with the ‘Méthode Traditionelle’ sparkling wines which Marlborough also produces well.
There are three broad winemaking styles of the Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand; tank-fermented, oak matured and blended. One of the most significant methods includes cold-fermenting in stainless-steel tanks which optimises the freshness and sharpness of the fruit flavours. The freshness of a Sauvignon Blanc seems to be the key factor in its success – it is much easier to imagine a crisp, fresh glass of sauvignon Blanc with a fresh summer salad or freshly caught seafood and experts might even recommend an accompaniment of more acidic foods such as tomatoes and vinegar-based dressings to really empower the taste buds with this wonderful vine.
Cloudy Bay is one of Marlborough’s most famous wineries, and is particularly noted for its Sauvignon Blanc Wines. Although its first vintage wasn’t revealed until 1985, in just over twenty years, it has become a significant company for the New Zealand export market. A firm favourite amongst the Brits and Americans, Cloudy Bay’s 350 acres was bought out by the multinational luxury goods firm ‘LVMH’ (Louis Vuitton Moet Henessy) which is a brand name internationally associated with elegance, style and success…a fitting partnership indeed.
Hawkes Bay is widely considered (alongside Marlborough of course) the best wine growing region in New Zealand and particularly excels in beautiful reds,with Syrah and Malvec being the most obvious examples. Chardonnay is the most widely planted grape variety but are vulnerable to struggles with the longer sunshine hours that reds flourish in. Some of the more recognisable producers from the region include ‘Abbey Cellars’, ‘Bell Bird Bay NZ Ltd’, ‘The Blake Family Vineyeard Ltd’ and ‘Maimai Creek’.
Of course it should go without saying that one of the best ways to experience the wines of New Zealand is to visit the country itself and explore the many award winning vineyards. The country has long been famed for its stunning and spectacular landscapes and strives to retain its clean and green image with great success. The winemaking industry complies with the country’s image and has been a pioneer in industry standards for sustainable winegrowing…something that may well appear on the label of your bottle, but is best seen to be appreciated.
