New Zealand is a new wine country. The first vineyard was established in 1819. At the beginning, in the twentieth century, the industry first developed in the North Island around Auckland.
Between 1960-70, it grew explosively toward the southeast into Gisborne and then further south to Hawke's Bay. In 1973, the first vineyards were planted in Marlborough in the South Island. In 1990, this region had become the nation's largest producer and leading region.
Experimentation with even cooler, more southerly climates continues on South Island as far as Canterbury and even Otago, the world's most southerly vineyards. The New Zealand's climate is perfect for the vineyards growth. It's generally a cool country with abundant rainfall.
Then, three-fourths of New Zealand's wines come from white grapes, predominantly prestigious French varietals, with a few German grapes added for a good measure. Chardonnay is the most produced white wine, followed by the now-famous Sauvignon Blanc. Muller-Thurgau, Riesling and a small amount of Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Semillon are other whites. For reds, Pinot Noir is the flagship projected to earn the same kind of attention for New Zealand that Shiraz did for Australia. In size and importance, Pinot Noir is followed by Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. New plantings of Syrah, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and even Zinfandel and Pinotage will add more choices in the future.
New Zealand's first vines were planted in 1819, in the subtropical region of Northland. But beyond wine-related happenings in isolated missions, nothing evolved in the country until the late 1800s, when Auckland-based Dalmatian immigrants started to ferment rough libations for family use.
However there were never produced big quantities. In the 1960s New Zealand was exposed to foreign influences and this lead to a much bigger demand to table wines. Kiwis started searching for new suitable vine culture places.
New vineyards
Not only more vines were planted in the already existing wine culture places, but many new suitable places were found as well.
It turned out these wines did well, so in the 1970s farmers planted Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc.
Sauvignon Blanc prospers very good in the New Zealand climate, that is characterized by its long hot autumn days (owing to this the percentage of sugar in the grapes increases) and cold nights (for a good acidity degree). Sauvignon Blanc is made in almost every wine-country. The Sauvignon Blanc which comes from the northern part of New Zealand is a little more sumptuous, the wine from the southern part has got a characteristic, spicy accent.
Chardonnay was introduced into New Zealand in the 1830s although the variety disappeared due to phylloxera (Phylloxera is a pest that destroyed vineyards all over the world) later that century. Chardonnay re-appeared in commercial quantities in the early 1970s and was soon planted in every wine region as public demand grew for the wine.
New Zealand wines were vibrant, vigorous and alive. By the mid-1980s, the racy vitality and exuberance of New Zealand's whites pushed them to the top.
Red wine
Next to first-rated white wines like Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, New Zealand had also very good and famous red wines.
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
Cabernet Sauvignon was first planted about 160 yrs ago by James Busby. James Busby was the British resident Governor General who grew grapes in his own garden in Waitangi. But his vine-tendrils were suffering from horses, sheep, cows and pigs. Finally English soldiers destroyed Busby's vineyard in a fight with the rebel leader Hongi Hika. The revival of Cabernet Sauvignon began in Hawkes Bay during the mid-1960s and within a decade or two the variety was planted in all regions. Merlot only appeared in New Zealand in the early 1980s but has since made up for lost time, with the number of plantings now approaching those of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Pinot noir
Pinot Noir first appeared in Auckland during the mid 1970s and within a decade was being produced in Martinborough (in the Wellington region) and Hawkes Bay, plus most regions in the South Island. Early competition successes from Canterbury and Martinborough Pinot Noir, as well as the demand for Pinot Noir as a component in high quality bottle-fermented sparkling wine, made this the most widely planted red grape in the country and one of New Zealand's most prestigious and acclaimed wine styles.
Today
In less than twenty years New Zealand has developed into an international valued wine land. More than hundred wine-houses, frequently open for public, produce every year about 45 million litres of wine.
Wine regions
New Zealand has ten main wine growing regions, each displaying a great diversity in climate and terrain.
Northern New Zealand
Northland: New Zealand's first vines were planted in Northland in 1819, however winemaking almost died out here until a strong resurgence of interest in recent years. The region is now expanding rapidly, although it still rates as the country's smallest.
Northland typically experiences the country's warmest ripening conditions which explains the popularity of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay, the region's three most widely planted grape varieties. Vineyards are sited mainly on flats or gentle slopes.
Auckland: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay are also the most popular varieties in Auckland although Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and other white varieties are also planted.
Most wine companies buy grapes from other regions. Auckland's climate has too much autumn rain and not enough sun to grow quality grapes itself. Waiheke Island, off the east coast, is considered part of Auckland, and with its drier climate and better soils, it's rapidly claiming its own name with great Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Waikato and Bay of Plenty: The Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions, situated in the south of Auckland, represent small but steadily expanding vineyard plantings that occupy scattered pockets of land amidst rolling farmland. Wine production is focused mainly on Chardonnay with Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc occupying second and third place. Both regions enjoy a moderately warm, but rainy, climate by New Zealand standards. Major wineries here get their grapes elsewhere.
Gisborne: Located on the country's most easterly tip and closest to the international dateline, Gisborne boasts the world's most easterly vineyards and the first vines to see the sun each day. Gisborne, self-proclaimed the Chardonnay capital, and once the largest wine region in the country, its balance is planted in mostly white varieties, leaving red grapes a share of only ten percent. Most of Gisborne's harvest, including a vast amount of lesser whites, goes straight to Auckland.
Hawkes Bay: From hot plains to cool altitudes, it seems in Hawkes Bay the sun shines a perfect number of hours on the numerous soil types composing the second-largest and highest-quality wine region in the country. Chardonnay is the most widely planted grape variety but the long sunshine hours attract a high percentage of later-ripening red grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, as well as the early ripening Pinot Noir.
Wellington: Wellington is the official name for the large region which occupies the southern section of the North Island. Wairarapa, on the lower eastern side of the region, is Wellington's only wine district. Pinot Noir is the region's most planted and certainly most acclaimed grape variety. The success of Martinborough Pinot Noir has to a large extent driven the rapid development of this very dynamic and quality-focused region. With a cool climate, the region also excels in chardonnay and sauvignon blanc.
Wellington is small in production terms but makes a large contribution to the country's quality winemaking reputation.
Southern New Zealand
Nelson: Nelson is an area of artists, artisans and very stylish wines. The region is sited on the western side of the country near the northern tip of the South Island. Mountains to the west of the region provide a rain shadow effect while coastline helps to moderate temperature extremes. Nelson winemakers specialize and excel in grape varieties that respond to cooler growing conditions. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Noir account for over eighty percent of the region's vineyard area.
Marlborough: In less than twenty years, the sunny-but-cool river valleys of the South isle's northeastern tip have become New Zealand's largest and most important wine-growing region. The distinctive pungency and zesty fruit flavors captured the imagination of the country's winemakers and wine drinkers all over the world and sparked an unparalleled boom in vineyard development. The sixty-something wineries here are famous for their sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and pinot noir translate into "equally intriguing wines". And then there's an arousing sparkler made in the traditional method of Champagne. Overseas investors are moving fast into this exciting area.
Canterbury: Canterbury has two big wine areas: the plains around the city of Christchurch, where grapes were first planted in the late 1970s, and the more recently developed valley area of Waipara, in the northern part of Christchurch. Long, dry summers, abundant sunshine and relatively cool growing conditions are a feature in both areas. The soil is different: in the southern area the soils are mainly alluvial silt loams over gravel sub soils while in Waipara they are chalky loams that are often rich in limestone. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the most widely planted grape varieties, together making up nearly sixty percent of the region's vineyard. Riesling is the third most popular variety with Sauvignon Blanc in fourth place.
Central Otago: These wines are "with altitude". Central Otago is New Zealand's highest and the world's most southerly wine region. Soil structures and climate vary dramatically from those of other regions with heavy deposits of mica in silt loams and great extremes of daily and seasonal temperatures. Pinot Noir is the dominant grape variety, Chardonnay ranks second with Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling a distant third and fourth. The wines of Central Otago have a purity, intensity and vibrancy that seems totally appropriate to anyone who has visited the region and breathed the pure mountain air.
Future
New Zealand is famous for its sheep and the big production and export of its fabulous dairy products. But in the future there will probably be more attention paid to New Zealand wines. The export rose between 1990 and 2002 from four million liters to more than twenty million liters!
The number of vineyards, the demand and production for export is increasing each year. It would be no surprise if New Zealand wines in the near future became world's famous.
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