New Zealand

Question 1

Who is James Busby?

Answer 1

British minister who planted a small vineyard from French and Spanish cuttings at his estate in Northland

Question 2

Who is Romeo Bragato?

Answer 2

An Austrian viticulturist who came to New Zealand from Victoria with the task of studying the nation’s vineyards and combating phylloxera.

Question 3

What was the most planted grape varietal in New Zealand in 1960?

Answer 3

Albany Surprise

Question 4

Who is New Zealand’s largest winemaking company and what did they do in 1973?

Answer 4

Montana

Established Marlborough’s first commercial vineyards in 1973

Question 5

Who produced the country’s first varietal wine and what was the grape? From where?

Answer 5

Montana

Chardonnay from Gisborne

Question 6

Who is responsible for putting New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc on the map and in what year was this?

Answer 6

Cloudy Bay

1985

Question 7

When was the Screwcap Initiative launched?

Answer 7

2001

Question 8

How is the climate and topography of the North Island different than that of the South Island?

Answer 8

North Island is less mountainous and generally much rainier

Question 9

What is the name of the mountain range that divides the South Island?

Answer 9

Southern Alps

Question 10

What region in New Zealand is the world’s southernmost winemaking region?

Answer 10

Central Otago

Question 11

Where are most of New Zealand’s vineyards planted in regards to the coastline and topography?

Answer 11

Planted on flat expanses and mostly located within twenty miles of the eastern coastline.

Question 12

Why is mechanical harvesting so common in New Zealand?

Answer 12

A consistent source of cheap manual labor is hard to find.

Question 13

Why is on average a bottle of wine in New Zealand more expensive than any other bottle in the world?

Answer 13

New Zealand has little land to spare, thus modern bulk wine production is not economically feasible. For this reason producers have mainly focused on higher price points in the global market.

Question 14

What two organizations worked together to create the overarching wine growing organization that all producer in New Zealand belong to? What is it called?

Answer 14

Grape Growers Council and the New Zealand Wine Institute

New Zealand Winegrowers

Question 15

Who was the first to commercially release wine under the screw cap in New Zealand?

Answer 15

Kim Crawford in Marlborough

Question 16

What are the six larger wine regions of the North Island?

Answer 16

Northland
Auckland
Waikato/ Bay of Plenty
Gisborne (Poverty Bay)
Hawkes Bay
Wairarapa (Wellington)

Question 17

What three grapes dominate Auckland?

Answer 17

Chardonnay
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot

Question 18

What are the 5 unofficial subregions of Auckland?

Answer 18

Kumeu/Huapai
Waiheke Island
Matakana/Mahurangi
South Auckland
Henderson

Question 19

What is Waikato also known as?

Answer 19

Bay of Plenty

Question 20

Poverty Bay is also known as what wine region that is the first in the world to see the sun each day?

Answer 20

Gisborne

Question 21

Which one, red or white, wine production dominates Gisborne? What is the major grape planted here?

Answer 21

White

Chardonnay

Question 22

Which region is known as the second largest wine region in the country and the North Island’s driest in climate?

Answer 22

Hawkes Bay

Question 23

What are the 5 unofficial subregions of Hawke’s Bay? Which subregion’s subregion is the most notable for producing premium Syrah and Bordeaux-style blends? What are the major soil type of this subregion? What other major soil types exist in Hawke’s Bay?

Answer 23

River Valleys
Coastal Areas
Alluvial Plains
Hillsides
Central Hawke's Bay

Alluvial Plains’ subregion, Gimblett Gravels is notable for premium Syrah and Bordeaux-style blends, the major soil type here is deep shingle soils

Other soil types include Greywacke gravel, heavy silt, and sandy loam

Question 24

What is the southernmost wine region on the North Island? What is it also called? What is the major subregion here and what is the most successful grape for both white wines and red wines?

Answer 24

Wairarapa a.k.a. Wellington

Martinborough is the major subregion here and Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc thrive here.

Question 25

Which wine region in New Zealand produces over half of the country’s total output?

Answer 25

Marlborough

Question 26

What is the most exported wine from New Zealand?

Answer 26

Montana’s Lindauer sparkling wines are the most exported.

Question 27

Which famous Champagne house teamed up with Montana in 1988 effectively cementing Marlborough’s future in the wine world?

Answer 27

Deutz

Question 28

What are the three unofficial subregions of Marlborough?

Answer 28

Wairau Valley
Southern Valleys
Awatere Valley

Question 29

Name three producers of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

Answer 29

Cloudy Bay
Kim Crawford
Montana

Question 30

What is the fastest growing wine region in New Zealand and what are its two subregions?

Answer 30

Canterbury
Waipara Valley
Canterbury Plains are the two subregions.

Question 31

What is the star grape of Central Otago? What is the climate here and how does it differ from the rest of the country?

Answer 31

Pinot Noir

Witnesses country’s only continental climate

Question 32

The best vineyards in Central Otago face what direction? Why not the other?

Answer 32

North

Southern aspects are much too cold to ripen the grapes effectively.

Question 33

Name three producers of Central Otago Pinot Noir.

Answer 33

Felton Road
Mt. Difficulty
Rippon

Question 34

What are the 6 unofficial subregions of Central Otago?

Answer 34

Gibbston
Wanaka
Alexandra Basin
Cromwell Basin
Bannockburn
Bendigo

Question 35

If a wine has a grape listed what is the minimum % of the grape that must be in the bottle? Vintage?

Answer 35

85% for both