A diverse climate, widely varying soils and the effects of Prohibition long restrained this Pacific island country's natural suitability for wine production. Not until the mid-1980's did it produce wines of sufficient quality and quantity to attract international attention, when highly aromatic Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs first gave outsiders a hint of this area's startling potential.
The development of the New Zealand wine industry has focused on refining cultivation techniques and progressive vineyard experimentation, culminating in today's determination to produce wines distinguished among the world's finest vintages. In some cases, the distances between wineries and vineyards can be daunting (cultivated area now spans 720 miles north to south), but technological innovations help ease this hindrance to fine wine production. Watchful but moderate government regulation allows innovation, and without the restraint of an established tradition, winemakers are free to express personal style. The great attraction of international acclaim encourages risk-taking among vineyard owners, who are among the world's most enthusiastic and experimental.
History
Fine wine appreciation was slow in coming to New Zealand, and early vintners concentrated on mass production. The first vineyard, established in 1835, provided undistinguished thirst-quenching wines to British troops, and until the mid-twentieth century, industry aspirations were correspondingly modest.
Early vineyard development roughly paralleled population growth, and has moved progressively north to south. In the twentieth century, the industry first developed in the North Island around Auckland, center of one-third of the country's population. 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 on the South Island, and by 1990, this region at the island's northern tip had become (and continues to be) 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.
Government and social policies have profoundly affected New Zealand's wine industry. The Temperance movement between 1910-1919 (whose residual blue laws restricted retail wine sales as late as 1990) limited expansion, as did the economic depression of the 1930's. But in 1958, the government moved to restrict the importation of wines and spirits. This guaranteed local producers a stable market and allowed strong new growth.
In 1981, the Closer Economic Relations agreement expanded trade with Australia by eliminating tariffs between the two countries. This forced New Zealand winemakers to compete with that country's much (ten times) larger industry and prompted heavy discounting. Still New Zealand production grew prodigiously until by 1983, vineyard expansion, large yields and low prices caused many producers to founder. In 1986 the government ordered one-quarter of all vines pulled out to stabilize the market. Most of these were high-producing varieties intended for bulk wines. At present, promising new vineyards again proliferate in smaller parcels, as the matching process between terroir and varietal becomes ever more successful.
In the 1990's New Zealand vineyard acreage more than doubled from 4,880 to 13,000 hectares (12,043 to 33,110 acres) in 2000, and continues to grow. While domestic demand has remained about the same, international interest propelled startling export growth in the same period, with over 20 million liters (5,300,000 gallons) sold abroad in 2000. The number of wineries nearly tripled (from 131 in 1991 to 358 in 2000) as export volume grew nearly fivefold, from 4 million liters (1,060,000 gallons) in 1990 to 19.2 million liters (5,088,000 gallons) in 2000. And the phenomenon shows no sign of abating, as reinvested profits result in ever better and more diverse wines.
Kiwi wine growers have used their resources wisely during this period of tumultuous growth. Sage viticultural practices decreased average vineyard yields by nearly one-half, from 14.4 to 8.2 tons per hectare (from 5.4 tons per acre to 3.3 tons per acre), an adjustment that reflects optimum production levels for the now-popular French varietals as well as decline of the prolific but less distinguished Muller-Thurgau and Muscat vines.
Climate/Cultivation
Although New Zealand contains a number of micro-climates and a range of soil types, it is generally a cool country with abundant rainfall. Historically, many vineyards were planted on flat sites with inadequate drainage and overly fertile soils. These, along with cool temperatures and inappropriate rootstocks, contributed to fungus, mildew and phylloxera infestations, now mostly controlled by replanting.
The most common challenge in New Zealand vineyards, however, has always been the rampant growth of leaf canopy, resulting in under-ripe, potentially vegetal wines. Today scientific vineyard management has developed extensive canopy management (trellising and leaf-trimming) programs that nearly eliminate this problem, allowing winemakers to make highly aromatic and relatively high acid wines that can be extremely expressive of varietal character.
As in other winemaking regions around the world, the "latest word" in vinification techniques is tradition. Manual harvesting, pre- and post-fermentation maceration and partial whole berry fermentation are all utilized in the pursuit of intense varietal character. Oak fermentation and aging (in both French and American oak) are also popular for Chardonnay and red wines.
For white wines, cold fermentation is the norm, with a few wines being barrel aged or blended for greater complexity. Oak fermentation and maturation on the yeast lees are used for "riper" styles of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, particularly in the northern regions, where blending with Semillon is also used to enhance complexity. The most famous Sauvignon Blancs eschew oak aging to maintain their clean, pungent aromas.
About three-fourths of New Zealand's wines come from white grapes, predominantly prestigious French varietals, with a few German grapes added for good measure. Chardonnay is the most produced white wine, followed by the now-famous Sauvignon Blanc, though these standings are expected to be reversed in the near future. Muller-Thurgau, Riesling and a small amount of Gew'rztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Semillon are other whites.
For reds, Pinot Noir is the flagship, the biggest producer as well as the wave of the future, 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.
South Island:
Marlborough - Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, M'ller-Thurgau, Merlot, Riesling Nelson - Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Riesling Waipara - Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay Canterbury (around city of Christchurch) - Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Noir Central Otago - Pinot Noir, Gew'rztraminer, Riesling.
Classifications
New Zealand wine labels are regulated by the Fair Trading Act and the Food Act, both of which ban misleading statements (including, by implication, geographic claims). The Geographical Indications Act of 1994, which has not yet been implemented, will eventually delineate and assign names to wine sub-regions, and will also regulate the use of these names on wine labels.
Currently, if a single grape variety is mentioned on the label, that variety must comprise 85% of the contents when sold in the United States or UK (in New Zealand, only 75% is required). When more than one variety is mentioned, varieties must be listed in descending order of proportion. If sold in European Union countries or the United States, the wine must be 100% true to the stated varieties. Table wines in New Zealand may carry alcohol content up to 15%.
Regions
NORTH ISLAND: Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Auckland, Wellington
SOUTH ISLAND: Marlborough, Otago
NORTH ISLAND
In general this northern area (closer to the equator) tends to produce mellower, softer, less acidic versions of all varietals.
Gisborne: Gisborne, on the eastern side of North Island, has the luxury of a dual identity: over a third of the country's wine is produced here, the great majority becoming everyday bulk wines. But Gisborne also produces fine wines, claiming the title of Chardonnay Capital of New Zealand, where the country's largest producers and shoestring boutique wineries both vinify distinguished premium Chardonnays. These wines are known for charming peach, pineapple and melon fruit flavors as well as a clean freshness that makes them excellent partners to many different foods. Gisborne's climate also appears to be well-suited to growing fine Gew''rztraminer.
Hawkes Bay: Hawke's Bay, a historic wine-producing area near the eastern center of the North Island with 28% of the country's vineyards, frequently records some of the country's sunniest weather. Chardonnay is its most important varietal, followed by the declining historic variety Muller-Thurgau, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot. Hawke's Bay Chardonnay is less forward than the Gisborne wines, but at its best exhibits strong citrus flavors and great elegance. The area's Sauvignon Blanc often has nectarine or stone fruit character, and is softer and less pungent than the better-known Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.
The Hawke's Bay reds are produced in a Bordeaux style. The Cabernet Sauvignons, sometimes blended with Cabernet Franc or Merlot, have intense berry, sometimes cassis flavors; they often have a slightly herbaceous character and show strong oak from barrel age. Hawke's Bay is widely considered to be the Merlot Capital of New Zealand, and though Merlot is produced in smaller quantities than Cabernet Sauvignon, these wines are also oak-aged and known for firm structure, as well as herbal, red berry and earthy flavors.
Auckland: Auckland, the cradle of New Zealand's wine industry, struggled for years to find fine wine varietals suited to its warm, humid climate. As a population center it oversees massive wine commerce, mostly vinifying and blending wines from other New Zealand regions. Recently however, enterprising vintners with new vineyards on Waiheke Island and Matakana in the Auckland region have produced fine Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and other Bordelais varietals as well as limited Pinot Noir. These varieties appear to ripen well and show great promise here. And Chardonnays from the recently developed Kumeu River area near Auckland show lush varietal flavors; their typically rich style is balanced with a lively lemon finish and they are considered among the country's best.
With the lone exception of the South Island's Central Otago Vineyard, all winemaking areas are restricted to the eastern coastline; there are no viticultural areas on the west coast.
Wellington: Across the Cook Strait on North Island, Wellington, around the town of Martinborough, has a cool climate, long dry autumns and gravel soils - all precisely suiting the requirements of the finicky Pinot Noir vine. Wines from this area rival the finest Pinot Noirs, and their refreshing acidity gives them the potential for further aging. Wellington also produces some botrysized Riesling which can be very fine.
SOUTH ISLAND
Marlborough: Marlborough, though relatively young as a wine-growing region, has the largest wine acreage in New Zealand with more than 4,500 hectares (11,115 acres); its first vineyards were planted in 1973 and now make up 40 percent of all New Zealand vineyard area. This large flat river valley at the northern end of South Island contains a great variety of soil patterns, low soil fertility and good drainage, all of which allow winemakers opportunities for producing fine wines in a great variety of styles.
Marlborough wines first appeared on the international wine scene in 1985 with startlingly fresh, clean yet complex Sauvignon Blancs that made consumers sit up and take notice. Today Sauvignon Blanc is the most planted varietal, showing tropical fruit flavors and pungent capsicum herbaceousness that have come to represent the national style.
Chardonnay, Marlborough's second most popular varietal, is produced in a number of styles including sparkling. Like the Sauvignon Blancs, it often shows tropical aromas and relatively high acidity, and is rarely aged in oak. Riesling also thrives here and can produce both fine dry dinner wines and luscious botrytized dessert wines. The wave of the future is to be found in Marlborough's youngest vineyards, where Pinot Noir is making news and quite a reputation with oak-aged wines of finely balanced structure and supple red fruit flavors reminiscent of young Burgundy. Made into sparkling wines, Marlborough Pinot Noirs can also display a refined austerity. To the northwest, Nelson turns out some elegant Chardonnay with hazelnut and citrus flavors.
Otago: Vintners in Otago, the world's most southerly wine region, have to reckon with the country's only continental (rather than maritime) climate. They maximize sunshine hours and minimize frost danger by planting on hillside vineyards, a rarity in New Zealand. Because of their peripheral location geographically, Otago vineyards produce small yields, but their wines can offer great concentration and corresponding character, particularly in Pinot Noir and Gew'rztraminer, which show plenty of crispness. New vineyards are being planted here faster than anywhere else in New Zealand, and for good reason: both Canterbury and Otago grapes produce elegant, long-lived Pinot Noir, typically with deep black cherry flavors and fine acidity.
