New Zealand wine has carved a name for itself in the International wine world, and it is easy to see why! Although New Zealand may be small, its wine regions produce unique wines that shine with purity, innovation and care. Whether you love a Sauvignon Blanc, a Pinot Noir or world-class sparkling wine, there truly is so much to discover when it comes to New Zealand Wine. I’m partnering with the New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) to showcase the magic that is New Zealand Wine. In this post, we’re diving into 5 reasons to love New Zealand Wine.
The NZW is an organisation for the country’s grape and wine sector, with over 600 grower members and 700 winery members. Established in March 2022, it is the only unified national winegrower industry body in the world.
So let’s dive into reasons to love New Zealand wine!
Geographical diversity
Despite its size, New Zealand has some of the most contrasting geographies of any wine-growing country globally. With two halves, the North Island is generally warmer, and the South Island has much colder temperatures. Their wine regions span across both islands, and the great thing about this is that it means you have completely different climates across one country.
The great thing about the diversity of climate is that you can try completely different grape varieties from across the regions, and each will offer something unique. From the cool climate of Central Otago to wines from the temperate and maritime Marlborough climate, you’ll always find something new and exciting to try.
Purity of terroir
A great thing about New Zealand Wine is that the purity of the landscape, the grapes and the winemaking shines through like nowhere else. Everything from the soil the grapes grow in, to the beautiful water and sunlight produces grapes with the utmost quality. Winemakers with an absolute focus on the craft then take these grapes and produce wines where the unique terroir shines through.
A great example of this is the Te Mata Estate Bullnose Syrah 2020 from Hawke’s Bay. Te Mata Estate has been operational since 1896 and is located in one of New Zealand’s oldest wine regions. For 126 years they have specialised in the production of high-quality wines, and their Syrah shines with the care taken to produce a classic style, high-quality wine.
Innovative winemaking
The New Zealand sense of adventure shines through in their wines which show a drive to improve on doing things better every vintage. Winemakers in New Zealand couple the best of wine tradition with their built-in ingenuity to constantly innovate and produce wines that keep going above and beyond. Whether it is using different grape varieties to produce their wines, or trying out new techniques in their winemaking, there is always something new to try when it comes to New Zealand Wine.
An example of this is the Astrolabe Albarino 2020 from Marlborough. Although New Zealand is known for Sauvignon Blanc, they’ve been experimenting with new grape varieties. Albarino thrives in the temperate and maritime Marlborough climate, and Astrolabe made the first planting in 2009 with the first harvest in 2013. This innovative spirit of trying new grape varieties has produced an absolutely delicious wine that’s perfect for pairing with food.
Sustainable practices
One of the things that make wines from New Zealand unique is that you can taste the care, respect and love their winegrowers, the kaitiaki of their precious land, put in at every stage. New Zealand winemakers put the utmost care into their land and winemaking, cultivating the grapes sustainably and then carefully crafting world-class wines. Taking care of the land that produces their wines is so important, and there are so many winemakers in New Zealand who are adopting sustainable practices to ensure their wines respect the land the grapes grow on.
A great example of this is the Supernatural The Green Glow 2022 wine from Gisbourne. Supernatural Wine Co. is a producer of certified organic, naturally vinified, low sulphur white and skin-fermented white wines. Their philosophy relies on great terroir and traditional processes and they aim to make their wines as naturally as possible to produce true terroir-driven wines.
There’s so much to discover
The great thing about all of these reasons to love New Zealand wine is that they amalgamate in a country that produces so many different wines to try. Sauvignon Blanc may have put New Zealand on the map, but there is so much more to try. Whether you prefer Pinot Noir, Syrah, or want to try something completely different like an Albarino, there is something for every palate, price range and occasion. The great thing about the diverse terroir is that each wine region is also unique, so you can find completely different wines depending on whether you’re trying one from Gisborne or Malborough. With so many different regions, varieties, climates and winemaking techniques to sample, you could never get bored when it comes to New Zealand’s unique wines!
In summary: 5 reasons to love New Zealand wine
I hope this article has inspired you to give some New Zealand wine a go next time you’re looking for something new to try. There really is so much to try from their unique wine regions, whether you like Sauvignon Blanc, prefer something classic like a Syrah, or want to try something completely different like an Albarino! The purity, innovation and care that goes into these wines really shine through in every bottle produced across their unique wine regions. There is so much to discover!
Visit New Zealand Winegrowers to learn more.