D3 - New Zealand Flashcards
Examines the regions, grapes, methods of production, and styles of New Zealand.
What is the range of latitudes in New Zealand?
36°–46°S
What geographic feature is New Zealand’s most influential climate moderator?
Pacific Ocean.
Which region in New Zealand is fully protected from Pacific Ocean influence?
Central Otago.
- What is the climate of Central Otago?
- What is the general climate for the rest of New Zealand?
- Central Otago: semi-continental climate
- Rest of NZ: mostly maritime but it varies – northern areas of North Island have more moderate climate while South Island will be cool.
What is the mountain range that runs down the South Island?
Southern Alps.
What effects do the Southern Alps have on viticulture on the South Island?
- Mitigate rainfall;
- Protect vineyards from the prevailing winds that blow in from the Tasman Sea.
What are five environmental factors that allow New Zealand to successfully grow grapes?
- High UV radiation;
- Long hours of sunlight;
- Large diurnal range;
- Relatively fertile soils;
- Adequate rainfall.
What do high UV levels do for red grape varieties?
Enhance the development of colors and tannins.
Why are extended daylight hours important for grape growing on the South Island?
Long daylight hours increase the ripening period, making grape growing possible in sites where it would otherwise be too cool.
Why is the diurnal range important to wine regions on the South Island?
It helps preserve acidity in the grapes.
Select the correct answer.
Many of the wine regions in New Zealand see how much rainfall?
- Not enough – everything is irrigated
- Adequate to sufficiently high
- Rainfall is excessive and rot is consistently a huge problem
- Adequate to sufficiently high
How are vines generally trained and trellised in New Zealand?
Why?
VSP and two canes with the fruit zone relatively high because:
- Higher fruit zone makes hand harvesting easier;
- Vines don’t need reflected solar energy in order to ripen.
Why is overall yield in New Zealand quite high (~92hL/ha) despite low planting density (2,000–2,500 vines/ha)?
- Sufficient rainfall;
- Plentiful sunshine;
- High nutrient levels in the soils.
What does New Zealand’s adequate-to-sufficiently high rainfall mean for disease pressure?
Increases it – fungal disease can be a problem, particularly on the North Island.
What has led to New Zealand producers to put netting over their vines to protect the fruit*?
*Which adds cost
Birds
- Birds in NZ have few predators, so many different bird species thrive;
- They can cause serious damage in vineyards – not only eating grapes but also damaging grape bunches which invites bacterial and fungal diseases to infect the fruit.
Why are leaf positioning and canopy management crucial to grape growing in New Zealand?
Leaf positioning provides shade for grape bunches, mitigating sunburn which is a real concern given the high UV levels;
Canopy management is critical for shade and keeping fungal disease pressure low.
Why is irrigation practiced in some areas of New Zealand when the regions generally see adequate rainfall?
Some alluvial soils are very free-draining and some areas have such strong winds (increasing evapotranspiration) that vines would shut down if they weren’t irrigated.
What are the potential side effects of tropical cyclones on New Zealand’s viticulture?
- Rain and bad weather during flowering, fruit set, and harvest;
- Can reduce yields;
- Can have a negative impact on grape quality.
Sauvignon Blanc is planted to ___% of New Zealand’s vineyard area.
62%
What is the upside of having no GI-specific winemaking regulations in New Zealand?
Experimentation with different winemaking techniques to create new styles is common.
Name 2 environmental factors and 3 vineyard management choices that help New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc taste the way that it does.
- Lots of intense sunlight, adequate rainfall or irrigation, careful canopy management;
- Long growing season thanks to diurnal range = aroma intensity and high acidity;
- Training and trellising, cluster placement (facing the sun = fully ripe grapes; shaded grapes = more herbaceous);
- Earlier picking to preserve acidity and herbaceous character;
- Mechanically harvested fruit allows skin contact via crushed berries leading to higher levels of herbaceous aromas.
What 6 winery factors help New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc taste the way that it does?
- Preserve primary fruit characters via protective winemaking;
- Selected yeasts to promote aromatic intensity;
- Low fermentation temp in stainless steel vessels to retain primary fruit aromas;
- No MLC – preserves high acidity and primary fruits;
- Minimal lees aging (2–3 mos) in stainless steel to retain primary fruit aromas;
- Use of ascorbic acid and SO2 at bottling + bottling under screwcap to retain freshness.
Some small-volume and premium New Zealand wines are increasingly being made using:
- Skin contact for white grapes – up to two months to add texture and aroma;
- Lees stirring;
- Partial or full malo;
- Using high level of solids in fermentation;
- Ambient yeast strains;
- Barrel fermentation and/or oak aging.
High-volume, fresh and fruity red wines are generally made in New Zealand using what techniques?
- Mid-range fermentation temps;
- Cultured yeasts;
- Neutral vessels.
Premium red wines in New Zealand see what kinds of winemaking methods?
- Whole bunches in fermentations;
- Cold maceration to extract more color and aromas;
- French oak barrique maturation.
Why are screwcaps so prevalent in New Zealand?
- TCA in corks used to be really high;
- To avoid premox.
90% of wine production in NZ is sealed under screwcap.
What 4 regions on New Zealand’s North Island do you need to know for the exam?
- Greater Auckland (and its subregions: Waiheke Island, West Auckland and Matakana – moderate maritime climate w/ high humidity)
- Gisborne;
- Hawke’s Bay (and its subregions: Gimblett Gravels and Bridge Pa; relatively warm);
- Wairarapa (and its subregions: Masterton, Gladstone, and Martinborough).
What grape varieties does Waiheke Island specialize in?
Why these varietals?
Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah
- Waiheke Island is slightly warmer than most of Auckland; surrounding water leads to a lower diurnal range, helping mid- to late-ripening black varieties to ripen fully;
- Undulating landscape allows producers to find sheltered positions for their vineyards to protect their vines from the onshore winds.
Name two important Waiheke Island producers.
- Man O’ War;
- Stonyridge.
Gisborne
- What is the climate?
- Which grape makes up more than 50% of the plantings?
- What are the soils for the majority of vineyards?
- What are the soils for quality vineyards?
- Moderate maritime climate;
- Chardonnay;
- Majority: flat, fertile floodplain of clay, loam and silt;
- Quality: poorer soils.
What is the precipitation like in Gisborne?
What issues arise with that?
Precipitation is high (1000mm)
- This + fertile soils + lots of sunshine = vigor, therefore precise canopy management is important;
- Also must monitor weather forecasts to pick at the right time to avoid dilution or rot.
What are the styles of Chardonnay like from Gisborne?
Range from inexpensive examples, made in a simple, fruity, unoaked style to premium, outstanding quality, full- bodied, barrel-fermented styles with ripe stone fruit, creamy flavors and medium to medium+ acidity.
What are the sweetness levels and styles of Pinot Gris from Gisborne?
Pinot Gris is Gisborne’s 2nd most planted grape.
- Sweetness levels range from dry to medium-dry;
- Some are simple, inexpensive, fruity wines;
- Some are good quality wines that attract a premium price, having often benefitted from lees stirring and old oak maturation.
Hawke’s Bay
- What is the climate?
- What is the rainfall?
- What are the soils?
- What are the dominant grapes grown here?
- Moderate maritime climate;
- High (1000mm)
- Gravelly alluvial;
- Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay.
Hawke’s Bay also sees 2,180 sunshine hours.
Gimblett Gravels and Bridge Pa, Hawke’s Bay’s two best known subregions, are inland.
Does this mean they have more or less of the ocean’s moderating influence?
And what does that mean for these areas?
Less – which means there’s greater frost risk but have warmer days than vineyards closer to the coast.
- Gimblett Gravels and Bridge Pa share this same base soil, but their top soils differ.
- What are the top soils for each, and what are the characteristics of those soils?
- Base soil: alluvial terraces with gravelly soils.
- Top soils:
- Gimblett Gravels: stony – free-draining (needs irrigation), releases heat overnight so Cab Sauv can be grown here;
- Bridge Pa: sandy and clay loam – good water retention.
Why are coastal Hawke’s Bay Chardonnays and Syrahs fresher in style than those from inland Gimblett Gravels or Bridge Pa?
Pacific influence greater on the coast with cool daytime temperatures which lead to slower ripening.
Gimblett Gravels and Bridge Pa both have what kind of soils?
Free-draining, alluvial terraces with gravelly soils.
Even with high annual rainfall levels, irrigation is necessary.
Hawke’s Bay reds are predominantly _____-dominant blends.
Merlot-dominant blends.