New Zealand is an isolated island nation in the Pacific Ocean, about a thousand kilometres Southeast of Australia. It Lies between latitudes 36°S and 45°S, making it the southernmost wine producing country in the world. New Zealand has ten major wine-producing regions spread between the North and South Islands, the most important of which is Marlborough.
New Zealand produces a wide variety of wines, the best known of which are the zesty, grassy whites made from Marlborough Grape/sauvignon">Sauvignon blanc.
Pinot noir has also proven to be well suited to New Zealand's Terroir and has made a name for itself in Martinborough, Marlborough and especially Central Otago, where the wines can be described as Dense and muscular with strong black fruit Flavours. The AromaticRiesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer varieties have found their way into the cooler regions of the South Island, and the Syrah, Bordeaux Blend varieties (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc) do well in the warmer regions of the North Island.
The first vines arrived in Northland in 1819 and were planted by the father of antipodean viticulture, James Busby (who went on to establish the Hunter Valley region of Australia). Missionaries brought vines to Hawkes Bay in the 1850s, and in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Dalmatian gum-digging settlers planted vines throughout Auckland and Northland, laying the foundation for New Zealand's modern wine industry.
For much of the 20th century, the country's vineyards were mainly confined to the east coast of the North Island, and most wines were produced solely for local consumption. It wasn't until the 1970s that wine-growing areas began to expand and New Zealand wines began to be exported. In 1973, Auckland-based wine producer Montana (now Brancott Estate) bought land in Marlborough's Wairau Valley. After some problems with poorly chosen grape varieties and the scourge of phylloxera, Marlborough sauvignon blanc took off in the 1980s and 1990s, producing a style of wine praised for its earliness and grassy, sweaty character.
Pinot Gris is a grey grape variety mutated from Pinot Noir. It has its origins in Burgundy, where it is called pinot-beurot in reference to the colour of the grey robes worn by the monks of the region. Established in Alsace since the 17th century, pinot gris was called tokay until 2007. It is made up of bunches of small berries that vary in colour from pink to blue-grey. It is particularly well suited to the continental climate because it is resistant to the cold in winter and to spring frosts. This variety also likes dry limestone soils with plenty of sunshine in the summer. Pinot Gris is well suited to late harvesting or to the selection of noble grapes, depending on the year and the concentration of sugars in the berries. Pinot Gris wines are distinguished by their aromatic complexity of white fruits, mushrooms, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, etc., and their great finesse. In the Loire Valley, pinot gris is used in the Coteaux-d'Ancenis appellations. It gives dry or sweet wines with pear and peach aromas.
pink wines from the region of New Zealand go well with generally quite well with dishes of veal, pork or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of lamb confit with new potatoes, roast pork in the oven or venison leg in casserole.
On the nose in the region of New Zealand often reveals types of flavors of red fruit, tree fruit or microbio and sometimes also flavors of citrus fruit, non oak or oak.
I remember watching the London fireworks on television last New Year’s Eve. They were spectacular to watch, but where there would usually be throngs of spectators, the streets remained incongruously empty. Social distancing was still in force. It reminded me of my year’s wine drinking up to that point: some dazzling bottles, but often enjoyed without company – or via a screen. As 2022 began, the Covid-19 pandemic gradually relaxed its grip and many of us hurried back to everyday life. The usual ...
From Champagne hotels to Napa wineries, Decanter’s list of 50 fantastic wine trips reflects how we have been inspiring readers with wine travel ideas in print for nearly 50 years, and online for more than two decades. Whether you’re looking for last-minute inspiration, planning the trip of a lifetime or just dreaming, we are here to help. We ranked every travel feature on decanter.com according to popularity over the past year, and the list ranges from recent expert guides to archive class ...
Crurated, which describes itself as a membership-based wine community, announced that it has raised $7.2m (£5.9m) from private investors. The group, founded in May 2021, said it will use the funds to ‘further evolve the technology platform, expand producer partnerships beyond France and Italy, and increase overall market share across the globe’. Alfonso de Gaetano, Crurated’s founder, said that around 50% of the fresh funding came from existing investors, alongside commitments from new backers. ...
