Top 100 sparkling wines of New Zealand - Page 2

Discover the top 100 best sparkling wines of New Zealand as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the sparkling 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: Sauvignon

Sauvignon Gris is a grape variety that originated in France (South-West). It produces a variety of grape specially used for wine making. It is rare to find this grape to eat on our tables. This variety of grape is characterized by small bunches and small grapes. Sauvignon Gris can be found in many vineyards: South West, Languedoc & Roussillon, Cognac, Bordeaux, Loire Valley, Burgundy, Jura, Beaujolais, Armagnac, Provence & Corsica, Rhone Valley, Savoie & Bugey.

Food and wine pairing with a sparkling wine of New Zealand

sparkling wines from the region of New Zealand go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or vegetarian such as recipes of macaroonade from sète, lasagne with two salmons or cream and tuna quiche.

Organoleptic analysis of sparkling wine of New Zealand

On the nose in the region of New Zealand often reveals types of flavors of strawberries, red fruit or cream and sometimes also flavors of citrus, non oak or earth.

News from the vineyard of New Zealand

A perfect pairing: Flatbread and cod roe emulsion

My father worked in the wholesale supply of fruit and vegetables. He would often come home with a box of the day’s best produce, and so I became interested in what was in season. Both my parents often worked late, so cooking dinner to help take some weight off them inspired me to want to learn more. My first kitchen job at age 14 was at a Greek restaurant in Southampton, and it inspired my love for foods of the eastern Mediterranean. Today, I’m lucky to be able to obtain the best produce from ‘O ...

Plan for major English winery development in Kent blocked

Medway councillors in Kent have voted against plans to build the ‘Kentish Wine Vault’ English winery on ‘green belt’ land located in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), surrounding the small village of Cuxton. Plans for the major winery development were submitted by Vineyard Farms Ltd, sister group of MDCV UK Ltd, which is controlled by Mark Dixon, the billionaire British businessman resident of Monaco. Designed by leading architecture group Foster &am ...

2022 harvest: Labour shortages and Omicron ‘serious’ concerns for New Zealand

As the 2022 harvest in New Zealand gathers pace, increasing production costs and the on-going effects of the pandemic on border restrictions, markets, and supply chains have continued to impact the industry. Over the past 12 months the availability of labour has been a ‘huge concern’ for many growers and wineries, according to New Zealand Winegrowers. ‘The introduction of Omicron into the New Zealand community on the cusp of vintage 2022 is a very serious concern for growers and wineries, as thi ...