New Zealand Flashcards
When were the first planted in New Zealand?
1819
Who planted vines in New Zealand from cuttings in Australia in 1833?
James Busby
- In 1840, French naval officer Jules Dumont d’Urville tasted the fruits of Busby’s vines, having rowed ashore from his ship Astrolabe. In his journal, he noted that the vines were thriving and that he been given “a light white wine, very sparkling and delicious to taste, which I enjoyed very much.”
Who started the Hawke’s Bay wine industry and when?
French missionaries founded the Hawke’s Bay wine industry in 1851
Who helped start the wine industry in the west Auckland?
Dalmatians (from an area that is today part of Croatia) fleeing the clutches of the Austro-Hungarian empire forged a winegrowing community in west Auckland from the early 1900s, having first earned a living digging gum trees in the far north. The Dalmatian influence remains strong today, with names like Babich, Fistonich (Villa Maria), and Brajkovich (Kumeu River) recognized around the wine world.
Explain New Zealand’s relationship with prohibition
In 1919, a national vote on prohibition took place. Local residents voted in favor of prohibition, but Kiwi troops stationed in Europe following World War I voted four to one in opposition. The soldiers tipped the balance, giving the embryonic wine industry a chance of survival.
The temperance movement didn’t go away, however. A legal hangover remained for most of the 20th century, with strict licensing laws making wine sales challenging. Pubs had to close at 6pm until 1967, while drinking wine in a restaurant was illegal until 1960. It wasn’t until 1989 that wine was sold at restaurants after 8pm and on Sundays. Single bottle sales weren’t permitted until 1955—previously, a minimum purchase of two gallons was required, effectively prohibiting direct-to-customer sales for wineries. Supermarket sales finally began in 1989; today, supermarkets account for 60% of all wine sold domestically.
Who first planted Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand?
When and where?
New Zealander Ross Spence had spent time in California studying at the University of Fresno, and when he returned home, he obtained some Sauvignon Blanc cuttings from the government’s research station, Te Kauwhata. He planted the vines in his Matua Road vineyard in 1968, producing the first commercially available wine in 1974
- These initial vines were disappointing in terms of yield due to leafroll virus, but the freshness and bold aromatics of the resulting wines persuaded him to go in search of disease-free vines. He managed to acquire cuttings from the Department of Agriculture’s trial block at Corbans Winery. The block was due to be uprooted because of a lack of interest, and Spence removed propagation wood just weeks before it was consigned to history. Spence provided viticulturist Wayne Thomas of Montana (now Brancott Estate) with cuttings to plant the first Sauvignon Blanc vines in Marlborough in 1975. Montana produced the first commercially available Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in 1979.
What was the first commercially available Sauvignon Blanc in Marlborough
Ross Spence provided viticulturist Wayne Thomas of Montana (now Brancott Estate) with cuttings to plant the first Sauvignon Blanc vines in Marlborough in 1975. Montana produced the first commercially available Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in 1979.
What percentage of exports are Sauvignon Blanc?
87%
What latitude does NZ span?
Vineyards span about 1,600 kilometers, from sub-tropical Northland, which sits on a latitude of 35˚ S, to the Alpine climate of Central Otago, the world most southerly wine region at 45˚ S. Marlborough, on the South Island, sits on a similar latitude to Rome at 41˚ but is much cooler, with an average growing season temperature of 15.2 degrees Celsius (59.4 degrees Fahrenheit) and 1,118 growing degree days, more similar to Burgundy
What latitude does NZ span?
Vineyards span about 1,600 kilometers, from sub-tropical Northland, which sits on a latitude of 35˚ S, to the Alpine climate of Central Otago, the world most southerly wine region at 45˚ S. Marlborough, on the South Island, sits on a similar latitude to Rome at 41˚ but is much cooler, with an average growing season temperature of 15.2 degrees Celsius (59.4 degrees Fahrenheit) and 1,118 growing degree days, more similar to Burgundy
What allows viticulture on the east side of the island compared to the west?
The west coast of New Zealand is generally too wet to successfully grow grapes due to its exposure to weather systems from the Tasman Sea. The mountains that run down the spine of New Zealand, including the Southern Alps, protect the east coast from the prevailing wet westerly winds, creating drier conditions more favorable to grapegrowing. Rainfall is generally around 600 to 1,000 millimeters in most wine regions, with drier conditions toward the east
Describe the impact of sunlight in New Zealand
New Zealand’s bottom-of-the-earth position means it is close to the ozone hole that forms annually over the South Pole. Combined with the country’s clean air, UV radiation can be as much as 40% higher in New Zealand than at a comparable latitude in the Northern Hemisphere. This makes sunlight intensity an important factor to consider. Vineyard workers must take care to avoid sunburn, and viticulturists need to be particularly strategic with canopy management to prevent the afternoon sun from burning the berries.
Describe the soils of NZ
Because of its youth, New Zealand has an enormous variety of soils that are generally less than 10,000 years old. Alluvial soils play a leading role on valley floors and terraces, providing different combinations of gravel, stone, silt, and sand. Hillside vineyards are less common in New Zealand than in Europe. The alluvial soils provide plentiful drainage, and capturing additional sunlight isn’t a concern, so planting on slopes has not historically been a priority. However, a growing number of vineyards are being established on slopes across the country. For example, in Marlborough’s Southern Valleys and Waipara’s Omihi area, the denser, loam-rich soils found on hillsides are more suitable for growing serious Pinot Noir than the alluvial valley floor.
When did NZ implement the GI system?
2016
However, in 2016, the New Zealand government finally passed the Geographical Indications Bill, immediately protecting the names of 18 New Zealand wine regions. These regional names, or Geographical Indications (GIs)—including Auckland, Marlborough, and Central Otago—may only be used for wines that hail from the given region, protecting them from misuse overseas.
What is required percentage to label…
Variety?
Vintage?
Origin?
85%
What percentage of NZ wine is under screwcap?
90%+
New Zealand is the global leader in bottling wines under screwcap, also referred to as Stelvin closure. While approximately 30% of wine globally is sealed under screwcap, that figure rises to more than 90% in New Zealand
In 2001, a group of New Zealand winegrowers, including MW Michael Brajkovich of Auckland’s renowned Kumeu River, spearheaded a movement encouraging all of the country’s wines to be bottled under screwcap. Although some have mistakenly called the New Zealand Screwcap Initiative an environmental pursuit, the cork industry is self-sustaining. This effort was instead driven by the fact that the quality of cork reaching Oceania in the 1990s and early 2000s was notoriously poor and prone to TCA infection. Screwcaps offered New Zealand winegrowers an opportunity to eradicate cork taint from their wine closures.
When did Sauvignon Blanc become the most planted in NZ?
As recently as 1996, Müller-Thurgau was New Zealand’s most prolific variety; Sauvignon Blanc only became the country’s most important grape in 2002.
What are the most planted grapes in NZ currently?
What NZ Sauvignon Blanc started the style of barrel-ferment?
early 1990s with Sacred Hill’s Sauvage and Cloudy Bay’s Te Koko
What NZ Sauvignon Blanc started the style of barrel-ferment?
early 1990s with Sacred Hill’s Sauvage and Cloudy Bay’s Te Koko
- Te Koko was once 100% malolactic but is typically 10% today
Describe the flavor profile of NZ SB from…
Marlborough?
Nelson?
Hawke’s Bay?
Martinborough?
Marlborough - passionfruit, stinky tropical fruit, gooseberry
Nelson, situated west of Marlborough, often yields a more restrained sweet apple and tropical fruit character
Hawke’s Bay - warmer climate, the wines are fuller bodied, with lower acidity and more muted characters overall.
Martinborough examples are less overt, typically offering aromas of green grass
When and where was Chardonnay first produced in NZ?
1960s, coming from Auckland and Hawke’s Bay, but it wasn’t until the late 1970s that new oak was introduced
What was the first home of Pinot Noir in NZ?
Auckland, which is now rightly considered too warm to make fine Pinot. Nikola “Nick” Nobilo planted Pinot Noir vines in Auckland in 1976;
- Wairarapa, home to the town of Martinborough
Where and when was the first Pinot Noir planted on the South Island?
the first examples on the South Island were established close to Christchurch in the late 1970s, despite many claiming it was too cold to successfully grow grapes. They were proven wrong when Saint Helena won a gold medal for its wine at the national wine awards in 1983. While Central Otago has established itself as a Pinot Noir specialist since the turn of the century, the first example wasn’t made until 1987.
Where is most of the Merlot in NZ planted?
Hawke’s Bay, which contains 90% of the nation’s planting
Who put modern on the NZ wine map?
scientist and winemaker Dr. Alan Limmer took cuttings from the national viticulture center and planted them in his vineyard in the Gimblett Gravels district of Hawke’s Bay in 1984
- The clone is today referred to as the MS clone or the Limmer clone and often found in Hawke’s Bay
- Some suggest they arrived in 1832 with James Busby or were planted by the Condrieu-born missionary Brother Elie-Regis on a steep slope that reminded him of Côte-Rôtie in 1839.
Where is most of the Syrah in NZ planted?
Today, 77% of New Zealand’s Syrah is planted in Hawke’s Bay, with another 12% concentrated in Auckland GI, notably on Waiheke Island
Where is Cabernet grown in NZ and how is it usually made?
Grown mainly in Hawke’s Bay, it is rarely made into a varietal wine. The temperate maritime climate of the North Island and the typically alluvial soils of Hawke’s Bay don’t lend themselves to producing rich styles. However, when harvest is preceded by warm, dry conditions, the variety can attain full ripeness. A few successful 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines have been launched in recent years.
The finest Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines are often aged in French oak barrels for around 18 months.
List the hectares planted for each Regional GI in NZ
