New Zealand Flashcards
Vines planted
Missionaries, early 19th c
Romeo Bragato
Government viticulturist. Advised on suitable places to plant. Largely ignored at time
1st wine
James Busby, established vineyard at Waitangi in 1836 to sell wine to British troops
Who planted Auckland and Hawkes Bay
Dalmatian and Lebanese settlers
Most planted grape in 1960s
Isabella (Albany Surprise)
When was BYO established
1976 by NZ Authorties
Export markets
Uk, Aus, US
Export strategy
High quality, low production from a ‘clean, green land’
Irrigation permitted?
Yes
Avg yields
70 hl/ha. No restrictions on yields or pruning
Gallagher leaf plucking machine
Takes less than 5 hours per ha, by hand takes about 50 hours per ha. Removes leaves by suction, and or cutting
Most planted grape
SB. 20,027 ha
Other grapes
PN, Chard, PG, Merlot, Riesling, Syrah, GW, CS, Malbec, CF
Stainless steel importance
Booming industry thanks to dairy business. Barrique more expensive to import due to isolation
Winemaking restrictions
None. Chap, acidification, deacidification all permitted
% of wines screwcaps
99%
Who dominates industry
Pernod Ricard NZ. Leading brand is Brancott Estate (formerly Montana)
Other industry players
Villa Maria/Vidals/Esk Valley groups. Nobilo Group (Accolade). Matuea (Treasury). Oyster Bay
Pernod Ricard
1/2 of NZ production, pioneer of grape growing in Marlborough. Acquired Coronas Wines (2nd largest) in 2000
What min % of stated varietal or vintage
85%. Same for region if legally defined. Declaration of vintage and varietal optional
North Island
Majority of production in central and southern regions; Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa
Northland
Birthplace of NZ wine 1819.
Waikato/Bay of Plenty
N Island. Larger area than Northland
Auckland
2% of national total. Montana and Villa Maria headquartered here
Auckland subregions
Kumeu, Waiheke Island, Matakana
Auckland climate
Moderate, rainy, maritime
Auckland varieties
Chard, Merlot, CS
Hawkes Bay
2nd largest region.
Hawkes Bay climate
Driest climate
Hawkes Bay grapes
Merlot #1. CS, PN, CF, PG
Hawkes Bay soils
Complex and diverse, gravel, heavy silt, sandy loam
Hawkes Bay subregions
Ngatarawa (Merlot), Esk Valley, Dartmoor Valley
Gimblett Gravels
area with deep shingle (small rounded peoples) soil. Syrah and BDX blends. Appears on several labels as a trademarked brand
Gisborne
3rd largest producer. Also known as Poverty Bay. Overcoming past reputation as bulk producer of lower quality wines
Gisborne grapes
Chard #1, Müller-Thurgau, GW. Red grapes struggle to ripen
Gisborne Fun fact
1st vines in the world to see the sun every day!
Wairarapa
Southernmost region on N Island. Region officially named Wellington, after capitol city
Wairarapa grapes
PN, SB
Wairarapa best subregion
Martinborough
Nelson
Northernmost region on S Island. High land prices, low land availability. S Islands smallest region
Nelson Climate
NZs sunniest climate, also rainiest on S Island. Cool
Nelson grapes
Chard, SB, Riesling, PN. Late harvest Riesling
Marlborough
Largest region. More than 1/2 of NZs wine.
Marlborough grapes
SB 10,000 ha. PN, Chard, PG, RS. Traditional method sparkling
Marlborough climate
Warm summers, cool nights. Long growing season
Marlborough soils
Sandy, alluvial loam topsoil over gravel. Excellent drainage and limits vigor
Marlborough subregions
Wairau Valley (N), Southern Valleys (Central), Awatere Valley (S)
Top Marlborough SB producers
Cloudy Bay, Kim Crawford
Canterbury
Fastest growing region
Waipara Valley
N subregion of Canterbury. Majority of regions vineyards. PN, Riesling, Chard, SB
Central Otago
NZ highest altitude vineyards. PN can be under-ripe in cool years
Central Otago climate
Fully continental (only region in NZ)
Central Otago aspect
Planting towards sun on northern hillside exposures
Central Otago producers
Felton Road, Mt. Difficulty, Rippon
Central Otago subregions
Best known: Wanaka, Gibbston, Alexandra, Cromwell Basin
