New Zealand Flashcards
New Zealand
General
Vineyards usually on flat lands within 20 miles from ocean.
Not much of a bulk wine zone (no space and no people to work for cheap)
Sophisticated producers
Mechanical harvesting (low population)
New Zealand has 21 official GIs, including New Zealand GI, North Island GI, and South Island GI, which cannot be changed or modified.
North Island
Warmer, more flat and more rainy.
Also
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Merlot, Riesling, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon, and Gewürztraminer (listed in diminishing order of 2017 acreage) enjoy significant plantings and are bottled as varietals. Sparkling wines of good quality are also produced, particularly in Marlborough.
Labeling
85% of a stated grape or vintage
When labeled with a GI, 85% of grapes must come from the stated GI.
For spirits that are labelled with a GI, 100% of the spirit must come from the GI
New Zealand Winegrowers
Formed in 2002 as a joint initiative of the Grape Growers Council and the New Zealand Wine Institute.
New Zealand Winegrowers promotes and presents a unified face for New Zealand wine, building on the past successes of its parent organizations.
They pushed for the screw-cap initiative.
Kim Crawford in Marlborough was the first to commercially release a New Zealand wine under screwcap; today over 85% of the country’s wines are finished with the closure.
North Island
North Island
Warmer, more flat and more rainy.
First vines plantes in Northland
North Island Regions
Northland Auckland (Chardonnay, Syrah, and Merlot lead in acreage with special attention paid to Merlot-based Cabernet blends) Waikato/Bay of Plenty Gisborne Hawkes Bay Wairarapa
Auckland
New Zealand’s largest wine region, yet production accounts for only 0.3% of the national total
Highly regarded sub-regions include: Kumeu-Huapai, Waiheke Island and Matakana
Hawkes Bay
North Island’s driest climate.
Grapes
Chardonnay and Merlot are the region’s most planted varieties, though Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon are all widely cultivated.
Hawkes Bay is one of the most important red wines regions.
Diverse range of soils
Chardonnay & Merlot are the most planted varieties
Gimblett Gravels prime sub-region for Syrah and Bordeaux-style blends
Other notable subregions include Bridge Pa, Esk Valley and Dartmoor Valley.
Gisborne
AKA Poverty Bay
Predominantly white grapes
Chardonnay has replaced Müller-Thurgau as the region’s most planted grape.
Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer and Viognier also perform well in the region.
Red grapes simply struggle to ripen in the cool climate.
Wairarapa
Wairarapa is the southernmost region on the North Island.
The entire region is officially named Wellington—it includes New Zealand’s capital city—but Wairarapa is the only wine district in the region.
Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc are particularly successful, particularly in the subregion of Martinborough.
North Island Producers
Craggy Range
(Hawke’s Bay / Martinborough- Pinot Noir)
Ata Rangi
(Martinborough - Pinot Noir)
Kumeu River (Auckland - Chardonnay)
Millton
(Gisborne – Certified Organic, Chenin Blanc)
Villa Maria (Auckland – NZ’s largest family winery
Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay)
South Island
South Island
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc was something utterly upfront, piercing and pungent; highly intense aromas of passion fruit, jalapeño, ripe grapefruit, and grass filled out Sauvignon Blanc’s racy structure, and the wine became an international sensation.
Abundant sunshine hours on the South Island aid ripening while the consistently cool nights allow grapes to retain acidity and the zesty character so prized in the country’s whites.
As of 2019, nearly 70% of New Zealand’s vineyards were located in Marlborough, and over 60% of the country’s total acreage was planted with Sauvignon Blanc.
South Island Regions
Nelson
Marlborough
Canterbury
Central Otago
Nelson
New Zealand’s sunniest wine-producing region, and the south island’s rainiest.
Fast-growing wine region – on the other side of Mt. Richmond
Stony, well-drained soils, planting on hillsides
Many small boutique wineries
Good Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Very little land available and at high prices.
Marlborough
70% of entire country’s production.
Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling.
Dry, sunny climate and gravelly soil
Soil
sandy, alluvial loam topsoil over gravel, providing excellent drainage and limiting vine vigor.
Some sites are more water-retentive, and induce a more herbaceous character in the final wine. Irrigation is widespread.
The region has also gained a reputation for traditional method sparkling wines, from many of the same producers who made Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc a household name: Cloudy Bay, Kim Crawford, and Hunter’s.
Canterbury
Area with great promise
Most vineyards located in Waipara
Warm summers-cool autumns, lower rainfall
Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Pinot Gris
