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New Zealand
Overview
Famous for being home to the world's
most startlingly aromatic expression of the Sauvignon Blanc grape. A good
example from the Marlborough region of New Zealand will show a remarkable
flavour array of gooseberries, elderflower and freshly cut grass, with
grapefruit-like acidity. In addition, New Zealand also produces good-quality
Chardonnays. The red wines are not usually up to the same standard, with the
notable exception of Pinot Noir, which excels in the Martinborough region.
Gisborne
Situated half-way up New
Zealand's North Island on Poverty Bay, Gisborne's warm climate and fertile
soils make it well suited for producing large quantities of easy drinking,
fruity white wines.
Hawkes Bay
A
large, important region in North Island, New Zealand. The sunny climate and
variety of soil types make it suitable for producing a range of wines, and this
is widely recognized to be New Zealand's best red wine region.
Marlborough
Although Marlborough, at the top of
South Island, is the most famous of New Zealand's wine regions, the first
vineyard wasn't planted here until 1973. Since then, it has established a
worldwide reputation for making astonishingly full-flavoured wines from the
Sauvignon Blanc grape. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir also do well here, and as well
as table wines these are used to make high-quality fizz, too.
Martinborough
At the bottom of North Island in
New Zealand, the small Martinborough region has established a reputation for
making some of the new world's most compelling examples of Pinot Noir, and
pretty good Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, too. Also known as Wairapa.
Otago
Towards the bottom of New
Zealand's South Island, Otago is the world's most southerly wine region.
Although it would normally be too cold to ripen grapes at this latitude, a warm
microclimate has permitted Otago to achieve some measure of success with Pinot
Noir and Chardonnay in particular.
Wairapa
See Martinborough. |
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