Background to wine production in New Zealand; wine regions, grape varieties and New World wine styles.
New Zealand is one of the most southerly wine producing countries in the southern hemisphere.
Over the past ten years, there have been exciting developments and improvements within the country's wine industry. For a start, the area planted with vines has virtually doubled and exports, particularly to Australia, have increased nearly sevenfold.
Background to wine production in New Zealand:
Samuel Marsden, an Anglican missionary, first introduced the vine to New Zealand, in 1819 and was responsible for the planting of a small vineyard at Kerikeri, north of Auckland. The country's earliest recorded winemaker, however, was New Zealand's first British resident, a Scotsman named James Busby. According to records, when the French explorer Dumont D'urville visited Busby in 1840, at Waitangi, he was given "a light white wine, very sparkling and delicious".
Throughout the nineteenth century, wine making was sustained by small-scale producers such as French priests and peasants, Hawke's Bay pastoralists and Croatian gum-diggers.
Then came Phylloxera, the vine-destroying aphid. Together with the activities of the country's prohibitionist zealots, New Zealand's wine industry was virtually wiped out.
The 1920s and 30s witnessed a gradual but undramatic growth in wine making.
Later, during the Second World War, when duties were raised on overseas wines, the New Zealand wine industry began to expand, significantly. This growth continued into the 1950s and 60s, largely thanks to the lobbyist winemaker and president of the Viticultural Association, George Mazuran. During those years, he won several concessions from successive governments, including approval for more retail outlets and restaurants to sell wine and a big reduction in the minimum quantities of wine that could be sold by wine shops and winemakers.
Despite all these efforts, until the 1970s, beer still remained the nation's favourite alcoholic beverage. The minority wine-drinking sector of the population still preferred to drink imported wines. Those who were prepared to buy local, tended to favour strong, sweet sherry style wines.
However, during last decade or so, New Zealanders developed a taste for quality dry wines, both red and white. This enthusiasm was largely responsible for the burgeoning growth of the country's wine industry, today. In recent years viticulturists have focussed on planting classic "noble" European grave varieties, including Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Merlot. These grape varieties have gradually outstripped the more mundane Müller-Thurgau.
The main wine growing regions of New Zealand:
The North Island and in particular, Auckland and its surrounding area, was the traditional terroir for the vine. Nowadays, more significant vineyards are to found on the east coast of the North Island, in regions such as Gisborne and Hawke's Bay and on the north edge of South Island, at Marlborough.
The North Island:
The regions around Auckland and Henderson remain the heart of the country's wine industry and its administrative centre. Northlands, North of Auckland, is well-known for its "classed growth" Bordeaux style red wines, as well as some excellent white Chardonnay. Warm, dry Waiheke Island, located to the north of Auckland, is noted for its superb quality Cabernet/Merlot blends.
Gisborne, south of Auckland, produces mainly Chardonnay. Most of it can be categorised as decent quaffing wine; some of it is exceptionally complex, rich and elegant.
Martinborough (also known as Wairarapa), at the south eastern tip of North Island, produces some of New Zealand's finest Pinot Noir, as well as some first rate white wines.
However, most of the North Island's best quality wines are produced in the region around Hawke's Bay. The various soils and altitudes of the area make it ideal growing terroir for most classic grape varieties, but, in particular, Merlot and Chardonnay. Some excellent Syrah and Malbec are also currently emerging from this region.
The South Island:
Although vines were not planted in the cooler South Island until the mid seventies, the region of Marlborough, in the north-east, now produces some of the country's most internationally famous wines. Its Sauvignon Blancs, Chardonnays, Rieslings and more recently, its Pinot Noirs, are all popular. The region is also gaining an excellent reputation for sparkling wines.
Climate and terroir:
New Zealand's vine growing regions extend over a wider range of latitudes than all the vineyards of France. Climatic conditions vary considerably from the north of North Island, where it is very warm, to the stony soiled south of South Island, with its distinctly cool climate. This wide range of climate and terroir explains the wide variety of wine styles produced throughout New Zealand.
Main grape varieties:
Reds:
Pinot Noir - now the country's most widely planted red grape variety. Apart from producing some delicious silky reds with slightly nutty, cherry flavours, it is also used for making sparkling wine.
Bordeaux varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec) -
Cabernet Sauvignon is nowadays losing favour, largely in an attempt to shake off the country's poor reputation, in the past, for producing indifferent red wines. If the Cabernet Sauvignon grape does get used in today's classy Bordeaux type blends, it is rarely the dominant variety. Merlot now tends to take that leading role, with Cabernet Franc and Malbec balancing the blend. Merlot, used as a single varietal can be refined, smooth and plummy. Malbec, by itself, also produces some fine quality, easy drinking reds with a delicious chocolaty flavour.
Syrah - Hawke's Bay is gaining an excellent reputation for producing quality wines made from the Syrah grape.
Whites:
Sauvignon Blanc - styles vary from north to south. Hawke's Bay Sauvignon Blanc is much softer and riper than the tangy, gooseberry flavoured styles of Malborough, in the south.
Chardonnay - both north and south are capable of producing some superb Chardonnays. In general, the further north you go, the richer, riper and more fleshy the style. New Zealand Chardonnays vary in style from simple, fresh and fruity to wines of almost Burgundian complexity.
Riesling - more and more Riesling is being planted nowadays, with very exciting results. New Zealand Riesling tends to be bone dry, with flavours of apple and lime when young. Sometimes the alcohol content can be as high as 14%. Many Riesling are capable of aging for decade or more. The best Rieslings are produced in the South Island and in the Martinborough region, in particular.
Over the past decade or so, New Zealand's wine industry has won the affection of wine drinkers, worldwide. It has successfully taken up the challenge of producing New World style wines that appeal to the international palate. The country's strength, however, still remains its pure and pungent styled white wines - but, reds too are improving by leaps and bounds.
