New Zealand

Question 1

What are the 4 current winemaking trends in Australia & New Zealand?

Answer 1

Sparkling
Lower Alcohol
More elegant, lighter bodied styles
Organics & Biodynamics

Question 2

What are NZ’s major & minor white grapes?

Answer 2

Major: Sauv blanc, Chardonnay
Minor: Gewurz, Riesling, Pinot Gris

Question 3

What are NZ’s major & minor red grapes?

Answer 3

Major: Pinot, Cab, Merlot
Minor: Syrah, Malbec

Question 4

On what parallel does Aukland lie? With whom does it share this distinction? What about Central Otago?

Answer 4

37th South, with Mendoza
45th South

Question 5

What are NZ’s major bodies of water?

Answer 5

South Pacific Ocean
Tasman Sea to the west & north
Cook Straight between the islands
Bay of Plenty & Hawkes Bay on north island

Question 6

What are the climates of NZ’s north & south island?

Answer 6

North Island ranges from subtropical & humid in North to Maritime in South

South Island ranges from maritime in North to Continental in south.

Question 7

What are the climates of Marlborough, Canterbury, & Central Otago?

Answer 7

Marlborough & Canterbury are maritime, but warmer & dryer due to rainshadow effect.

Central otago is continental thanks to the rain shadow effect of the Southern Alps

Question 8

Briefly sketch out NZ’s wine history

Answer 8

1819: Christian Missionaries plant first vines on North Island
1836: British minister James Busby plants french & spanish cuttings on his estate in Northland
1895: Wine industry grew slowly compared to beer, so NZ dept of agrigulture hired Romeo Bragato, austrian viticulturist from victoria, who recommended best growing sites & grafting for phyloxera
1909: NZ temperance movement means bars close at 9
1955: Stores allowed to sell single bottles of wine
1960: Restaurants allowed to sell bottles of wine
1967: Temperance repealed
1973: Montana establishes first commercial vineyard
1979: First Marlborough Sauv Blanc is marketed
1985: Cloudy Bay releases first Marlbourgh SB to critical aclaim
1986: NZ vine pull scheme pivots toward quality wine making
2001: Screwcap initiative launched
2002: NZ winegrowers association founded
2017: NZ GI system established

Question 9

What was 6 o’clock swill?

Answer 9

A WWI era temperance law in Aus & NZ mandating pubs close at 6pm; NZ didn’t repeal until 1967

Question 10

Which NZ wine GI’s best known for sparkling?

Answer 10

Marlborough

Question 11

What is the important mountain range in NZ and how does it affect viticulture?

Answer 11

Southern Alps on the South Island
-adds elevation and aspect to vineyards
-creates prominent rainshadow effect for Eastern side

Question 12

Is mechanical harvesting common in NZ? Why or why not?

Answer 12

Yes, because cheap labor is scarce

Question 13

Is NZ better known for bulk or quality wine?

Answer 13

Quality wine! They lack the land for bulk production

Question 14

What is NZ’s % rule & to what does it apply?

Answer 14

85: vintage, variety, GI

Question 15

What are NZ’s 3 permanent GIs?

Answer 15

New Zealand
North Island
South Island

Question 16

What is NZ’s traditional center of wine business? What 2 giant producers are HQ’d there?

Answer 16

Aukland; Montana & Villa Maria

Question 16

What are NZ’s 3 Northernmost wine regions? What grapes are most planted? Describe their climate.

Answer 16

Northland, Aukland, Waikato/Bay of Plenty

Chard, Syrah, Merlot, esp Merlot-based cab blends

Moderate, rainy maritime with risk of spring frost & rot

Question 17

What are Aukland’s 3 important subregion GIs?

Answer 17

Kumeu
Waiheke Island
Matakana

Question 18

Where is Waiheke Island and what’s unique about it?

Answer 18

It’s hilly, & uniquely dry & sunny for an Aukland subregion.

Question 19

What is NZ’s second biggest producing GI and the driest GI on the north island?

Answer 19

Hawkes Bay.

Question 20

What is most grown in Hawke’s Bay?

Answer 20

Merlot & Chard

Question 21

What is Hawke’s Bay’s unique subregion? What does it grow, on what soil?

Answer 21

Gimblett Gravels: deep shingles of graywacke (sandstone) gravel

Syrah & bordeaux style blends

Question 22

What is Gisbourne known for and what does it grow?

Answer 22

It’s the first wine region to see the sun every day
It grows overwhelmingly white grapes, esp chard.

Question 23

What is most grown in Wairarapa? What is Wairarapa also known as?

Answer 23

Wellington; Pinot Noir & Chardonnay

Question 24

What is unique about Nelson? What’s most grown there?

Answer 24

It’s both the sunniest & rainiest GI in NZ.
Pinot, Chard, PG, Sauv blanc