Wines of New Zealand

For so small a country (about the size of Colorado), New Zealand certainly has made a splash in the world’s wine glasses. Its Sauvignon Blancs, especially, turn the heads of such august producers of that grape as Sancerre and Bordeaux.

New Zealand’s vineyards grow along the entire length of its two islands, about 1,000 miles top to bottom. The equivalent in the northern hemisphere would be a belt of vineyards running from the Loire Valley to the very south of Spain.

Climate(s)
This means that the country’s grapes grow in a far-reaching array of climates and therefore produce a range of diverse styles. For example, in the northern and more humid areas of Northland, Auckland and Gisborne, Chardonnay may be harvested in late February and early March (note: vintages in the southern hemisphere best those in the northern by six months). The Chardonnays from these areas are riper, fatter.

In Central Otago, on the other hand, the world’s most southerly—and, consequently, very cool—grape-growing district, Chardonnay can be picked from mid- to late April—a difference from Auckland of a month and a half or more. Otago Chardonnay tends to be crisper, more citrus-y.

Overall, though, New Zealand’s climate is temperately maritime and the vineyards, by and large arrayed along the coasts, are washed by full, clear sunlight in the day and cool, stiff sea breezes at night. The summer growing period is long and slow and helps develop the intense flavors for which New Zealand wines have become well recognized.

Photo by Andrea Cairone at unsplash.com

Major grape growing areas
Ten delimited districts constitute New Zealand’s vineyard lands, but you need attend to only half of them, the more significant ones.

Northland: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot do well on the east coast, in pockets of warm, dry vineyards or, in the west, protected by low mountain ranges. The sub-region of Kumeu is gaining a stellar reputation for Sauvignon Blanc, and Waiheke Island for Bordeaux blend reds. Chardonnay also continues to do well.

Gisborne: Here lie the world’s most easterly vineyards—those closest to the International Date Line—and that see each day’s first sun. Protected on the west by mountains, the coastal plains have the nickname of “Chardonnay Capital of New Zealand” (nearly half of the district’s vineyards are planted with Chardonnay).

Marlborough: Plantings commenced as late as 1973 in what would become the country’s most recognized winemaking area. The daily warm-cool climatic swings and free-draining alluvial soils are perfect for the Sauvignon Blanc grown here. Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Noir also thrive, as does a healthy production of methode champenoise sparkling wine.

Wellington: The great success of Pinot Noir from the Martinborough district calls attention to its continuing promise in this area. The larger, encompassing region of Wairapara is climactically closer to Marlborough than to the other vineyard districts on the north island. So, it is no surprise that Sauvignon Blanc does well in Wairapara.

Central Otago: The world’s most southerly (and, thus, very cool) wine region is more like continental Europe in climatic extremes than the remainder of New Zealand. Pinot Noir, the dominant variety, has earned medals and accolades both in Otapo and abroad. Chardonnay, not surprisingly, does well too.

Grape varieties: Red
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot: Most widely planted in the warmer, dry, free-draining north. More than half of both varieties comes from Hawkes Bay, between Gisborne and Wellington. Full-bodied, lush, with flavors of ripe berries.

Pinot Noir:: Seemingly anywhere in New Zealand that is cool and fairly dry will find that it is home for Pinot Noir (especially in the south island). Martinborough’s Pinots show strong, ripe plum flavors and good concentration. Those from Marlborough and Nelson tend to display aromas and flavors of red cherry and plum. Otago Pinot Noir is particularly long-lived, yet elegant and full of the flavor of black cherry.

Chardonnay: The North produces rich, ripe, broad Chardonnay. Gisborne’s are soft and lush and with the flavors of pineapple, melon and peach. Chardonnay from Hawkes Bay shows grapefruit and peach; from Wellington, white peach, orange and citrus. Marlborough makes the most Chardonnay in New Zealand and it renders zesty wines with good acidity and flavors of grapefruit and white peach. The coolness of Otago tends to bring out a flintiness in its Chardonnays.

Sauvignon Blanc: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is broadly of two regional styles: Northern (Hawkes Bay and further north) and Southern (the South Island and Wellington regions). From the north, Sauvignon Blanc is ripe and rich, with melon, nectarine and other stone fruit flavors.

Southern Sauvignon Blanc styles are typically light and crisp with tastes of passion fruit, other pungent fruit flavors (such as grapefruit or lime), and with hints of red pepper, gooseberry and crisp asparagus. More than two-thirds of all the country’s Sauvignon is grown in Marlborough, due to its low rainfall (Sauvignon Blanc is particularly susceptible to rot at harvest time) and stone-rich, alluvial soil (which controls the vigor of this prolific vine).

Alternative bottle closures
To deal with a worldwide and continuing problem with what is called “cork taint” (wine spoiled by faulty corks), New Zealand winemakers increasingly stopper their bottles with either synthetic cork or (increasingly) screw caps. In this, they lead the world.

Unlike corks, screw caps are utterly inert. The major obstacle to their use is aesthetic (especially in the United States), although with the release of each year’s wine, that position seems less and less tenable.