Ch. 32 – New Zealand Flashcards
Unique style of Sauvignon Blanc in NZ
refreshing, strongly varietal
unoaked and dry
pronounced green fruit and tropical fruit
High acidity
Due to:
- maritime climate
- high proportion of sunshine hours
- high diurnal range
- high UV radiation
First vines planted, first wine made
Vines planted in 1819 by Samuel Marsden
First wine made in 1840 by James Busby
- not a big succes at first
- restrictive sales of alcohol
- lifted in 1985
European immigrants starting viticulture in NZ
most notably Croatians
- vineyards in West Auckland and Hawke’s Bay
Very high standards of hygiene and usage of temperature control based on which industry?
Dairy industry
New Zealand climate and effect on wines
Cool Pacific moderates what could otherwide be warm area (latitude same as Rome)
Mostly maritime climate
- Central Otago - semi-continental
36°-46° south
- Cool climate in southern island
- moderate climate in the north island (Auckland, Gisborne)
Vineyards predominantly on eastern side of islands
- Southern Alps protect Southern Island from excessive rainfall and winds from Tasman Sea
High UV radiation - more colour and tannin
- hole in ozone layer
- low air pollution
Rather high rainfall
Long hours of sunshine - increasing ripening period
- over 2,000 hours
Large diurnal range - preserves acidity
What does separate northern and southern island?
Cook Strait
What is the effect of long sunshine hours?
Increasing ripening period
What is the effect of high UV radiation?
More colour and tannin in black grapes
What is the effect of large diurnal range
Preservation of acidity
Slows ripening
Canopy management
Why is it important in NZ
Practises and trellising
Important factor due to:
- high rainfall
- high UV levels
- high sunshine levels
- fertile soils
Regulating vegetative growth (shading) and reduction of yield and quality
VSP with two canes or complex systems such as Scott-Henry
- high yields can be problematic in coolest years
- trained high (high sunshine hours meas that vines do not need light reflection)
- makes harvesting easier
Yields can be high
Low densities 2000-2500 vines per ha (usually 70 hl/ha)
Usual planting density and average yields
due to fertile soils and complex trellis systems
2000-2500 vines/ha
average yield 70 hl/ha
Common harvesting
Machine harvesting
Pests and hazards
High rainfall, humidity
- fungal diseases (especially Northern Island)
Very few predators - many birds
- netting, scarers
Sunburn - careful leaf positioning
Extreme weather events
- tropical cyclones
Irrigation
May be practised in some areas due to alluvial free draining soils and strong winds which increase evapotranspiration
- windbreaks of trees
Sustainability and organic viticulture
Almost all producers are part of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand
Growing interest in organic viticulture
- 10%
- especially Central Otago (favourable conditions)
Sauvignon Blanc winemaking
Pronounced style
- low fermentation temp in neutral vessel
- Cultured yeast to increase aromatics
- Malo is avoided (preserve acidity and avoid dairy notes)
- Oak ferment/maturation and extended lees contact is avoided
- Some producers may have to chaptalize
- Ascorbic acid (antioxidant) and SO₂ may be used (to preserve freshness)
Some producers experiment with lees, ageing, skin contact etc.
- especially on low volume premium wines
Winemaking for red wines
High volume, fresh wines
- Mid range temperatures
- cultured yeast and neutral vessels
Premium Pinot Noir or Syrah
- varying proportions of whole bunch
- cold maceration
- maturation in French oak barriques (Cabernet)
- maturation in large oak (Pinot)
Sweet wines
Mainly Semillon and Riesling
Noble rot for premium wines
Late harvested
Stopping ferment by SO₂, filtration
% of wines bottled under screwcap
and reasons
90%
Historical reasons
Premature oxidation
Bottle variations
TCA
North Island regions
Greater Auckland - Matakana Gisborne Hawke's Bay - Gimblett Gravels - Bridge Pa Wairarapa - Martinborough
South Island regions
Marlborough - Wairau - Southern Valleys - Awatere Nelson - Moutere Hills - Waimea Plains Canterbury - Canterbury Plains - North Canterbury - Waipara Valley, Waikari Central Otago - Alexandra - Gibbston - Bannockburn - Cromwell, Lowburn, Pisa - Bendigo - Wanaka Waitaki (North Otago)
Greater Auckland
Many producers have their headquarters here
Moderate maritime climate
- high humidity (fungal diseases)
3 sub regions
- Waiheke (Cabernet, Syrah)
- slightly warmer, low diurnal range
- expensive land
(producers: Man O’War, Stonyridge) - West Auckland - decreasing area, cellar doors
- Matakana - wines sell mainly to tourist trade
Gisborne
Area recently decreased (fruits get higher prices)
Mainly flat fertile floodplain
- clay, loam, silt
- Chardonnay
- mix of high volume and boutique producers
Moderate maritime climate
- warming breezes from the north
- one of first regions to harvest
- high rainfall 1000mm (less irrigation)
- devigorating rootstock and precise canopy management
Chardonnay
- inexpensive unoaked to outstanding full bodied barrel-fermented
Pinot Gris
- dry to medium-dry
- simple to premium (lees stirring and old oak ageing)
Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Viognier
Producers: Lindauer (sparkling) Milton Vineyards