New Zealand - February 2019

February in North America can definitely be one of the more somber moments of the year. The holidays are over, winter is seemingly never ending, and let’s face it-- it’s just downright cold. To combat the February blues, this month, I wanted to take our tour to a land down under, where vines cover a multitude of island hectares, coastal beach towns are in abundance, and the hot summer sun is in its seasonal peak. Welcome to New Zealand, one of the southern hemisphere’s most exciting viticultural growing regions.

As a wine producing country, New Zealand is actually pretty young, with viticulture only really beginning to take place in the early 1800s, brought over and expanded upon by British and Dalmatian immigrants. However, it wasn’t until 100 years later that viticulture actually started happening on a commercial level, exploding itself into the 21st century. At the time, and currently still today, animal agriculture dominates the country’s export market, with dairy, meat, and wool continuing to be some of New Zealand’s most important sources of revenue. However, wine has become a tremendous source of export; today, New Zealand produces over 285 million liters of wine, 90% of which is sent abroad, mainly to America, Britain, and Australia.

New Zealand is located in the South Pacific Ocean, with vines are spread across both North and South Islands, experiencing a variety of maritime, cool climate weather conditions. Vineyard sites tend to mainly be coagulated around alluvial valleys, comprised of the country’s signature greywacke soils, made of local sandstone. Other soil types, including the stony soils of Hawke’s Bay, schist soils of the Kawarau Valley, and limestone deposits in Waipara create other unique microclimates, the former of which (Hawke’s Bay) tends to be warmer than New Zealand’s general weather conditions.

New Zealand’s wine growing regions range from 36-45 degrees latitude, the northernmost of which are found in Northland, and southernmost of which are found in Central Otago, which sits a the same latitude as Bordeaux. Across both islands, summers are generally cool and winters are mild, with the Pacific Ocean acting as a year-round temperature moderator. The overall climate is relatively wet, though many eastern wine producing regions have developed within rain shadows. Both islands also experience relatively cool nights, preserving natural acidity within the islands’ grapes.

In terms of regions and appellations, New Zealand operates on the Geographical Indication (GI) system, similar to that of Europe’s Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) designations. As of last year, there were 18 registered appellations scattered across New Zealand, located on both islands. The most well known appellations include Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, and Wellington on the North Island, and Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury, and Otago on the South Island.

As with most other New World wine regions, most of New Zealand’s wines are produced as monovarietal bottlings. Sauvignon Blanc, the country’s signature grape variety, dominates a whopping 60% of overall vineyard space, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Riesling also have a relatively strong vineyard presence. Other white varieties are beginning to take off as well, including Gewurztraminer, Viognier, and the occasional Chenin Blanc, Albarino, and Semillon. Red wine production is dominated by Pinot Noir, particularly within the Canterbury, Martinborough, and Central Otago regions, giving way to fruit-forward bottlings noted with flavors of earth and oak spice. Bordeaux varieties, as well as Syrah, are also beginning to find themselves planted more abundantly.

From crisp, refreshing Sauvignon Blanc, to savory, dark-fruited Syrah, I hope this box brings a little bit of island sunshine to your February, no matter where you find yourself this season!

Cheers!

Dustin Wilson, Master Sommelier