No products in the basket.
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and specifically Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc have been pretty much synonymous with New Zealand wine until fairly recently. Indeed even in 2023 Sauvignon Blanc still accounted for 65%* of New Zealand’s total wine grape vineyard area – and most of that was in Marlborough, 58% of New Zealand’s total vineyard area. Amazing facts especially when you consider that the grape was first planted in Marlborough only in 1975. You cannot ignore the importance of this grape as it thrust New Zealand onto the international wine scene.
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc still clearly has its fans. Many have fallen for its aromatics, its crisp zing and unique flavours of gooseberry, red peppers with hints of passionfruit and fresh cut grass. As Sauvignon Blanc production started to become more commercial in the 1970s, at the lower end of the market (encouraged, it has to be said, by retailers importing into the UK and other countries), the bigger, tropical-fruit style of Marlborough Sauvignon dominated some markets. However a wider variety of styles has since evolved as producers embraced the diversity of the different terroirs even within Marlborough itself and used that to their advantage such that now New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has become an international benchmark for many.
The modern, more terroir-focussed and more subtle style of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is evident in the more premium end of the market. Te Whare Ra Sauvignon Blanc and Auntsfield Estates Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc are two great examples and both are consistently two of my customers’ favourite white wines. In addition, both are loved by me, once a self-professed Sauvignon Blanc hater! In fact Anna Flowerday of Te Whare Ra once described their Sauvignon Blanc as “a Sauvignon Blanc for people who think they don’t like Sauvignon Blanc”. At this higher but not necessarily too expensive end of the market, producers are experimenting further with different techniques such as lees ageing and even oak aging and so we are going to keep seeing Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc on the radar for some time to come.
If the zingy freshness of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is too crisp for your palate, try a New Zealand Sauvignon blended with Semillon, like Pegasus Bay Sauvignon Semillon. The Semillon softens that crispness and makes the wine a little rounder.
However, there is so much more to New Zealand wine than Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc as you are about to discover.
There are a number of underlying reasons why you should try New Zealand wine:
This is one of New Zealand’s major benefits and it allows them to grow a wide variety of grapes and produce a wide variety of styles as explained below. In addition it is partly responsible for an abundance of terroir-focused wines.
The climate as a whole is temperate maritime which makes it generally a cool-climate region. This means that New Zealand has an advantage in the production of premium wines. That is not to say that New Zealand doesn’t produce more commercial styles of wine. It does but there is an increasing focus on making great wine. The variety of micro-climates contributes to the focus on terroir.
New Zealand is at the forefront of sustainability. It was one of the first to establish a formal sustainability programme – in 1995. Today 96% of New Zealand’s vineyards are certified as sustainable and other countries are following its lead. You can read more about this commitment below.
It is argued that, with a relatively new wine industry, New Zealand is not hampered by commitments to long-standing traditions. It is certainly true to say that New Zealand has been a driving force in several areas of experimentation and innovation such as
New Zealand Winegrowers is the only unified national winegrowers industrial body in the world with almost all New Zealand wineries and grape growers signed up as members. The organisation supports members in many different ways – education, advocacy, research to name but a few – and has a real collaborative feel.
One of its most important roles is promoting “Brand New Zealand” worldwide. Its brand refresh in 2023, Altogether Unique, highlights New Zealand Wine’s three pillars – purity, innovation and care – and helps support and grow New Zealand wine’s reputation in a very competitive market.
Aside from Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, what else can New Zealand offer wine drinkers? After I previously wrote about Old World & New World wines (blogpost being updated and to be re-published soon) it is interesting to see that New Zealand Wine, mainly lists as the wine styles that New Zealand has to offer the different grape varieties that are grown there. Wine styles therefore include Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon. Their approach is mirrored below.
The second most-planted grape variety in New Zealand is Pinot Noir which accounted for around 14% of the vineyard area (up from 9% in 2016) followed by Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Merlot, Riesling and many more grape varieties.
If you have not yet tried a Pinot Noir from New Zealand, you really should. In my opinion New Zealand Pinot Noir is generally speaking one of the best in the world, hence why I have two different Pinots in the Wines With Attitude® portfolio. They differ in style due to the diversity of climates and soils but generally are intense in flavour, fruity and very elegant.
Look to the cooler climate areas of the southern end of the North Island such as Wairarapa where TWR is based and Martinborough and from the South Island such as Waipara where Pegasus Bay is situated and Central Otago for the best examples. Marlborough Pinots display red fruits and the best examples have a very elegant structure. North Canterbury Pinots have dark fruits, spices and savoury notes.
Pinot Gris is the third most planted grape variety in New Zealand – but the second most exported – even though it accounts for only 6% of total wine production. They are worth seeking out as most NZ Pinot Gris wines, like Te Whare Ra Pinot Gris, have great structure, a rounded texture and complexity from lees ageing.
There are an increasing number of grape varieties being planted in New Zealand as its terroirs are better understood and more appropriate vines planted. None of the other varieties accounts for double digit percentage figures of total vineyard area but there are some amazing examples of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Viognier wines being produced. The North Island being warmer is more suited to Syrah or Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and these are often, though not exclusively used in blends.
As an exception to the grape variety styles of wine, sparkling wine is also listed and rosé wines are a growing and recent trend.
Rosés are principally made from Pinot Noir and mainly in the Pinot Noir heartlands of Marlborough and Central Otago. They come in a number of different styles. In Hawkes Bay you can find some spicier rosés produced from Merlot and Syrah.
Sparkling wine in New Zealand is typically made in the champagne-style from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc does not really work!
In general New Zealand has resisted the trend that its neighbour Australia previously followed i.e. producing high alcohol, very ripe fruity wines. Its wines are generally lighter in style, fragrant and with crisp acidity. It has also tended to stay at the quality end of the market so its wine prices are not the cheapest. In fact, you would be advised to steer clear of cheap New Zealand wines. On the positive side the wines are usually good for drinking upon release and do not require long periods of ageing.
Only recently have geographical regions become official wine regions under The Geographical Indications (Wine and Spirits) Registration Amendment Bill passed by New Zealand’s Parliament in 2016. Labelling a New Zealand wine with a geographical indicator gives some assurance about the origin of the grapes – at least 85% of the grapes used in the wine’s production must originate from the region in question (with the other 15% or less coming from elsewhere in New Zealand).
As an example of one of the changes, the Waipara (Muddy Water in Maori) wine region in which the Pegasus Bay winery is situated became part of the wider North Canterbury wine region. Producers like Pegasus Bay now put the new geographical indication on their labels – see their Sauvignon Semillon back label to the left. This is some relief to those who confuse Waipara with Waitaki Valley also on the South Island and with Wairarapa, Waikato and Waiheke Island on the North Island.
Whilst North Canterbury is easier to remember, it is pretty big and will encompass a number of diverse sub-regions like Waipara and therefore a range of diverse terroirs and wines so you have to wonder if it will have any benefits other than the region’s sponsored trade events etc for the producers.It is argued however that as an area’s reputation grows, the geographical indication will add value.
As you might expect from a wine industry based in a country with a very “green” image and situated on two relatively isolated islands, sustainability is a huge issue. The country’s Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand certification programme (“SWNZ”) is world-leading. In growing grapes and producing wine the industry respects the natural environment and the community and practises reduced intervention where possible.
In 2023 96% of the vineyard area was voluntarily certified by SWNZ – see the logo in the Pegasus Bay back label above. This is no mean feat as it requires, inter alia, compliance with many regulations covering vineyard-, winery- and bottling-practices, submission of a full spray diary and independently verified on-site audits.
10% of New Zealand vineyards operate under certified organic programmes. Te Whare Ra or TWR is one of the growing number of wineries with part or fully organic certification.
A huge 88% of all 361 million litres of wine produced in 2023 in New Zealand was exported and 88% of that was good old Sauvignon Blanc. Or put another way, 77.5% of New Zealand’s wines exported was Sauvignon Blanc.
The UK has long been a massive fan though in recent years has dropped from the first to the second largest export market for New Zealand. The USA is the biggest export market with Australia coming in third behind the UK.
Certainly South Africa and South America have been jumping on the Sauvignon Blanc bandwagon and coming up with some (often) more commercial styles to appeal to the value end of the UK market. Having said that we do still take in 22% of all New Zealand wine produced, an increase from 2016’s 19%.
In conclusion although New Zealand produces approximately 1% of the world’s wine via its 739 producers (646 of which are classified as small producers) and, in the scheme of things is relatively new to wine production, it is considered one of the most innovative in the wine industry and has a growing reputation for well-made wines. If you haven’t before thought of exploring New Zealand wines other than Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, think again!
* With thanks to New Zealand Wine – all figures are taken from its Vintage Data and the New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Report
© 2014-2024 Wines with Attitude Ltd | VAT Reg. No. 181 2419 22 | Registered in England 08918466 | Fiveways, 57-59 Hatfield Road, Potters Bar, Herts, EN6 1HS
