Top 100 red wines of New Zealand
Discover the top 100 best red wines of New Zealand as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the red wines that are popular of New Zealand and the best vintages to taste in this region.
Discovering the wine region of New Zealand
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.
Discover the grape variety: Pinot noir
Pinot noir is an important red grape variety in Burgundy and Champagne, and its reputation is well known! Great wines such as the Domaine de la Romanée Conti elaborate their wines from this famous grape variety, and make it a great variety. When properly vinified, pinot noit produces red wines of great finesse, with a wide range of aromas depending on its advancement (fruit, undergrowth, leather). it is also the only red grape variety authorized in Alsace. Pinot Noir is not easily cultivated beyond our borders, although it has enjoyed some success in Oregon, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
Food and wine pairing with a red wine of New Zealand
red wines from the region of New Zealand go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, pasta or veal such as recipes of american fillet (belgian-style beef tartar), chicken and mushroom risotto or veal blanquette à l'ancienne.
Organoleptic analysis of red wine of New Zealand
On the nose in the region of New Zealand often reveals types of flavors of cherry, hibiscus or gooseberry and sometimes also flavors of yeast, oil or orange peel. In the mouth in the region of New Zealand is a with a nice freshness.
News from the vineyard of New Zealand
A perfect pairing: Madhu’s masala lamb
With culinary inspiration dating back to 1935, our restaurant brand Madhu’s specialises in South Asian cuisine with an East African influence. It’s thanks to the secret recipes handed down across eight decades that we have become caterers for royalty, dignitaries and Asian weddings – and that our original Southall location has been named Best Indian Restaurant multiple times by Pat Chapman’s Cobra Good Curry Guide. Over the past few years I’ve been working on creative combinations to find the pe ...
Andrew Jefford: ‘Pinotism is a cult within the wine world. Why?’
The voice drops a little; the tone grows more reverential. Everyone knows; everyone understands. There will be wry allusions to a quest, perhaps even the grail. Sacrifice is expected en route; failure (always forgiven: a badge of honour) beckons on every side. Kitted up, your hopes armour-plated? I might be talking about planting vines on a cleared slope, or simply about taking the corkscrew to a ridiculously expensive bottle of wine, but you all know by now what’s meant. Pinot Noir. ‘Pinotism’ ...
Gigondas to produce white wines
At a national committee meeting held on Thursday 8th September, members of the Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité (INAO) voted unanimously to ratify the change to the appellation guidelines to allow white wines into AP Gigondas. A working group of growers and négociants has been pursuing the amendment for 11 years. The amendment states that white Gigondas must contain a minimum 70% Clairette. Other permitted varieties include Bourboulenc, Clairette Rose, Grenache Gris, Grenache Blan ...