New Zealand Flashcards
Unique style of Sauvignon Blanc in NZ
refreshing, strongly varietal
unoaked and dry
pronounced green fruit and tropical fruit
High acidity
Due to:
- maritime climate
- high proportion of sunshine hours
- high diurnal range
- high UV radiation
First vines planted, first wine made
Vines planted in 1819 by Samuel Marsden
First wine made in 1840 by James Busby
- not a big succes at first
- restrictive sales of alcohol
- lifted in 1985
European immigrants starting viticulture in NZ
most notably Croatians
- vineyards in West Auckland and Hawke’s Bay
Very high standards of hygiene and usage of temperature control based on which industry?
Dairy industry
New Zealand climate and effect on wines
Cool Pacific moderates what could otherwide be warm area (latitude same as Rome)
Mostly maritime climate
- Central Otago - semi-continental
36°-46° south
- Cool climate in southern island
- moderate climate in the north island (Auckland, Gisborne)
Vineyards predominantly on eastern side of islands
- Southern Alps protect Southern Island from excessive rainfall and winds from Tasman Sea
High UV radiation - more colour and tannin
- hole in ozone layer
- low air pollution
Rather high rainfall
Long hours of sunshine - increasing ripening period
- over 2,000 hours
Large diurnal range - preserves acidity
What does separate northern and southern island?
Cook Strait
What is the effect of long sunshine hours?
Increasing ripening period
What is the effect of high UV radiation?
More colour and tannin in black grapes
What is the effect of large diurnal range
Preservation of acidity
Slows ripening
Canopy management
Why is it important in NZ
Practises and trellising
Important factor due to:
- high rainfall
- high UV levels
- high sunshine levels
- fertile soils
Regulating vegetative growth (shading) and reduction of yield and quality
VSP with two canes or complex systems such as Scott-Henry
- high yields can be problematic in coolest years
- trained high (high sunshine hours meas that vines do not need light reflection)
- makes harvesting easier
Yields can be high
Low densities 2000-2500 vines per ha (usually 70 hl/ha)
Usual planting density and average yields
due to fertile soils and complex trellis systems
2000-2500 vines/ha
average yield 70 hl/ha
Common harvesting
Machine harvesting
Pests and hazards
High rainfall, humidity
- fungal diseases (especially Northern Island)
Very few predators - many birds
- netting, scarers
Sunburn - careful leaf positioning
Extreme weather events
- tropical cyclones
Irrigation
May be practised in some areas due to alluvial free draining soils and strong winds which increase evapotranspiration
- windbreaks of trees
Sustainability and organic viticulture
Almost all producers are part of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand
Growing interest in organic viticulture
- 10%
- especially Central Otago (favourable conditions)
Sauvignon Blanc winemaking
Pronounced style
- low fermentation temp in neutral vessel
- Cultured yeast to increase aromatics
- Malo is avoided (preserve acidity and avoid dairy notes)
- Oak ferment/maturation and extended lees contact is avoided
- Some producers may have to chaptalize
- Ascorbic acid (antioxidant) and SO₂ may be used (to preserve freshness)
Some producers experiment with lees, ageing, skin contact etc.
- especially on low volume premium wines
Winemaking for red wines
High volume, fresh wines
- Mid range temperatures
- cultured yeast and neutral vessels
Premium Pinot Noir or Syrah
- varying proportions of whole bunch
- cold maceration
- maturation in French oak barriques (Cabernet)
- maturation in large oak (Pinot)
Sweet wines
Mainly Semillon and Riesling
Noble rot for premium wines
Late harvested
Stopping ferment by SO₂, filtration
% of wines bottled under screwcap
and reasons
90%
Historical reasons
Premature oxidation
Bottle variations
TCA
North Island regions
Greater Auckland - Matakana Gisborne Hawke's Bay - Gimblett Gravels - Bridge Pa Wairarapa - Martinborough
South Island regions
Marlborough
- Wairau
- Southern Valleys
- Awatere
Nelson
- Moutere Hills
- Waimea Plains
Canterbury
- Canterbury Plains
- North Canterbury
- Waipara Valley, Waikari
Central Otago
- Alexandra
- Gibbston
- Bannockburn
- Cromwell, Lowburn, Pisa
- Bendigo
- Wanaka
Waitaki (North Otago)Greater Auckland
Many producers have their headquarters here
Moderate maritime climate
- high humidity (fungal diseases)
3 sub regions
- Waiheke (Cabernet, Syrah)
- slightly warmer, low diurnal range
- expensive land
(producers: Man O’War, Stonyridge) - West Auckland - decreasing area, cellar doors
- Matakana - wines sell mainly to tourist trade
Gisborne
Area recently decreased (fruits get higher prices)
Mainly flat fertile floodplain
- clay, loam, silt
- Chardonnay
- mix of high volume and boutique producers
Moderate maritime climate
- warming breezes from the north
- one of first regions to harvest
- high rainfall 1000mm (less irrigation)
- devigorating rootstock and precise canopy management
Chardonnay
- inexpensive unoaked to outstanding full bodied barrel-fermented
Pinot Gris
- dry to medium-dry
- simple to premium (lees stirring and old oak ageing)
Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Viognier
Producers: Lindauer (sparkling) Milton Vineyards
Hawke’s Bay
climate and sub-regions
Oldest wine region of NZ
Moderate climate similar to Bordeaux
- high sunshine hours
- 1000mm of rain
- gravelly alluvial soils (similar to Medoc)
- Merlot dominant blends, Cabernet struggles
Sub regions:
Gimlett Gravels and Bridge Pa
- very warm during day, releases heat into evening
(Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet)
- Irrigation is necessary (free-draining)
- Coastal areas - moderating influence of Pacific breezes - slower ripening (Chardonnay, Syrah)
Hawke’s Bay varieties and styles
Bordeaux varieties and blends
- Merlot (dominant)
- premium aged for 18-24 months in French oak
- also deeply coloured, perfumed Malbec
Syrah
- 75% of NZ plantings are here (still small quantity)
- Concentrated blackberry, black pepper, floral
- medium to medium+ body and medium+ acidity
- French oak (proportion new) 12-18 months
Chardonnay
- range of styles
- restrained grapefruit and stone fruit
- often struck match reductive
- medium to full bodied with med acidity
- barrel ferment common for premium
Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris
Producers in Hawke’s Bay
Te Mata Estate and Craggy Range
Wairarapa
sub-regions
Climate
Soils
Focus on premium wines
- low yielding vines (3% of NZ planings 1% of volume)
3 sub-regions (known as Wellington Wine Country)
- Masterton
- Gladstone
- Martinborough
- all 3 intense elegant Pinot and perfumed but not so herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc
Cool maritime climate - large diurnal range - strong winds from Cook Strait - resulting in small thick skinned berries (Pinot Noir with fine-grained tannins) - risk of frost (wind machines)
Soils
- alluvial gravel terraces with silt loam and loess
- cooling influence, takes more time to warm up
- longer growing season
Wairarapa significant producers
Ata Rangi
Dry River
Wairarapa grape varieties and styles
Pinot Noir
- premium (very good to outstanding)
- medium+ acidity, red cherry, black plum, spicy
- low yields - intense concentration
- medium to med+ tannins
- many matured in French oak for 12-18 months
- range of clones (Abel from DRC late flowering and Dijon clones)
Sauvignon Blanc
- premium priced
- restrained herbaceous and fruit notes
- high acidity
- sone use wild yeast, partial barrel ferment, lees
Marlborough
climate and viti
Largest region (2/3 of all plantings)
- started by Montana Wines 1973
- cheap land
Maori name of the region means ‘the place with the hole in the cloud’
- very sunny
- cool climate
- moderate warm summers, mild winters
- protected from rain by mountain ranges (650mm)
- free draining alluvial soils - irrigation important
- underground acquifers
- lower disease pressure
Machine harvesting common
- promotes flavour of passionfruit and green bell pepper (5-10 times higher) due to short period of maceration when harvested
Marlboroung sub-regions
Wairau
Southern Valleys
Awatere
Wairau
sub-region of Marlborough
Wairau river, Cloudy Bay at east
West - less moderation from the ocean
- greater diurnal range
- higher frost risk
- former riverbed - gravel, silt, sand, loam, clay
- more fertile - higher yields
- irrigation needed
Tropical to herbaceous styles SB
also Chardonnay Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir
Southern Valleys
sub-region of Marlborough
number of north-south running valleys on the main plain, vineyards on the hillsides
- more clay
- better water retention
- cooling influence of cool soil
- Pinot Noir can develop higher alcohol levels
Awatere
sub-region of Marlborough
cooler and windier due to proximity to coast and higher elevation
- SB is more herbaceous and less tropical
- higher levels of acidity
- PN tends to have smaller berries (windy) - more colour
Marlboroung Sauvignon Blanc
70% of plantings
Dry high acidity intense aromatics
Herbaceous, floral, tropical - passionfruit
- mostly inexpensive to mid priced with premium examples
Many blend over the region and vineyards (alto so get desired volume)
Cool ferment and cultured yeast, preventing malo
no oak
Pinot Noir Marlborough
10% of plantings
3 styles
- light bodied, juicy (alluvial Wairau)
- Intese with med to full body (Southern Valleys, clay)
- Oaky, deep coloured (Awatere - windy thick berries) floral herbal character
Grape varieties in Marlborough
Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Noir Chardonnay Pinot Gris Riesling Gewurztraminer Viognier
Marlborough producers
Villa Maria
Cloudy Bay
Nelson
Not so protected by mountains
- cool, wet winds from west
- average of 970mm rain in heavy sudden storms
- cool maritime climate
- cool sea breezes during day and relatively warm at night
Focus on small scale production
2 sub-regions
Moutere Hills
- clay-based gravel with sandy loam topsoil
- only 50-150m altitude (no hills)
- low nutrients, good water-holding capacity - dry farming
- fuller bodied, concentrated wines
- High quality recognition
Waimea Plains
- former riverbed of alluvial soils, silt, clay loam, moderate fertility
- free draining - irrigation required
- lighter body, fresh fruit
Which region can dry farm?
Moutere Hills in Nelson
Grapes and wine styles in Nelson
Sauvignon blanc
- more restrained compared to Marlborough
- gentle stone and tropical fruit, herbal nuances
- may get barrel ferment, maturation and lees stirring
Pinot Noir
- Waimea usually fresh
- Moutere Hills - ripe tannins, full body, expressive fruit
- tend to have french oak maturation
Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurztraminer
Nelson Producer
Neudorf
Canterbury
Flat open plain facing Pacific Ocean
2 sub-regions
- Canterbury Plains (few plantings)
- North Canterbury
- Waipara Valley
- Waikari
North Canterbury
- cool climate, sheltered from cool weather by Southern Alps
- high number of sunshine hours
- frost can be issue
- hot dry winds from north-west (strong enought to damage vines)
- Rain shadow of Southern Alps (650mm)
- high evapotranspiration rates - irrigation needed
- low fungus pressure
Waipara Valley
- slightly warmer, some areas with sand and some limestone
Waikari
- clay-limestone
- Pinot Noir with very strong reputation
- Bell Hill, Pegasus Bay
Canterbury Producers
Bell Hill
Pegasus Bay
Canterbury grapes and styles
Pinot Noir
- from delicate to full bodied
- high acidity
- pronounced fruit
Riesling
- particularly Waipara Valley
- expressive, ripely fruited, high acidity
- dry to sweet
Sauvignon Blanc
- range of styles
- a lot of experimentation
Pinot Gris, Chardonnay
Central Otago
climate and soils
Surrounded by Southern Alps
- semi-continental climate
- very dry (360mm) - irrigation needed
- low disease pressure - ideal for organic
- long day light hours, high UV, no problem with ripening even so far in south
- vineyards above 300m - high diurnal range
- cold nights - frost risk
- sunburn issues - canopy management
Soils
- gravel to clay
- low in organic matter (compost and cover crops)
Sub-regions of Central Otago
Alexandra Gibbston Bannockburn Cromwell, Pisa, Lowburn Bendigo Wanaka
Alexandra
Sub-region of Central Otago
Furthest south but regularly hottest summers
- cool nights moderate it
- high diurnal range
- fresh fruit and medium + acidity
Gibbston
Sub-region of Central Otago
Highest and coolest (320-420m)
- fresh flavours with high acidity
- site selection is important to reduce risk of autumn frost
Bannockburn
Sub-region of Central Otago
Southern banks of Kawarau river
- intensively planten
- one of warmest and driest
- ripe concentrated
Cromwell, Pisa, Lowburn
Sub-regions of Central Otago
warm climate similar to Bannockburn and Bendigo
Bendigo
Sub-region of Central Otago
Warmest region
- hot enough to ripen Syrah
- north-facing terraces
- semi-arid, poor stony soils
- low yields of concentrated wines
Wanaka
Sub-region of Central Otago
Lake Wanaka moderating temperatures
290-320m
Central Otago grapes and styles
Pinot Noir - 70% (1/4 of NZ production)
- good to outstanding, always premium priced
- high UV, warm summers, cold nights
- deep colour, full body, good level of acidity, ripe tannins, intense red plum and black berry
- ageing in oak common
- experimentation with whole cluster
Pinot Gris
Riesling
Central Otago producers
Felton Road
Rippon
Waitaki (North Otago)
Young region
In rain shadow of Southern Alps
- breezes from ocean
- significant frost risk
Limestone- rather unusual in NZ
- Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer
Producer: Ostler
Wine law and regulations
No strict appellation laws
Free to plant whatever they like wherever they wish and experiment with winemaking
Geographical Indication Act 2017
- registeres regional place names for NZ to ensure the names are protected overseas
- 18 names registered
- also allows overseas GIs to be registered in NZ
Appellation Marlborough Wine
- protecting region’s reputation as production volumes and export volumes continue to grow
- must be made entirely from grapes from Marlborough to agreed max. yields, certified sustainable and bottled in New Zealand
- Sauvignon Blanc only
Appellation Marlborough Wine
aims and requirements
Aim;
- protecting region’s reputation as production volumes and export volumes continue to grow
Requirements
- must be made entirely from grapes from Marlborough
- agreed max. yields
- certified sustainable
- bottled in New Zealand
- Sauvignon Blanc only
New Zealand wine business
Low domestic consumption
Export is very important and growing
- USA, UK, Australia
- 1% of world’s wine volume but 7th largest exporter by value (10th in volume)
- Sauvignon Blanc 86% of export
Rapid increase of production (400% 2000-2018)
- including bulk shipping (1/3 of volume)
Reputation for high quality wines
- above average prices
- sustainable viti commitement (98% of producers)
- 10% of organic vineyards and growing
- promoting natural beauty of NZ
Big brands are not prevalent in NZ
Promotional body - New Zealand Wine
