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 Chardonnay
The third most widely
planted grape variety in New Zealand (having been overtaken in
recent years by
sauvignon blanc and pinot noir), New Zealand's chardonnays are full bodied, with
fruit flavours ranging from crisp, flinty apples and lemons through
to the lush stone fruit, peach and apricot flavours of very ripe
grapes. Styles produced range from fresh, unwooded wines through to
mouth-filling multifaceted wines with malolactic fermentations.
Those from the warmer areas such as Gisborne produce soft ripe wines
that are fruit driven, uncomplicated and easy to drink. Chardonnays
from Hawkes Bay are ripe with a rich fruit flavour, but the acidity
is more apparent. In the cooler areas such as Nelson and
Marlborough, a lemony quality appears in the fruit.
Chenin Blanc
At their best, New Zealand’s chenin
blancs are full in the body, with a fresh, buoyant, pineappley
flavour and mouth watering acidity. At their worst they are
searingly tart and totally devoid of any charm. Chenin blanc’s
most common role here is as a blending variety, adding body and
'spine' to its blends with muller thurgau in casks. mainly grown in
Gisborne and Hawkes Bay.
Gewurztraminer
New Zealand gewurztraminer can be
intensely aromatic, with floral, lychee and spice aromas of
cinnamon, cloves and ginger which gather in intensity on the palate
giving it an exciting racy character. New Zealand gewurztraminers
tend to be lighter in style although there are some examples made of
the fuller bodied, drier styles. This grape variety is mainly grown
in Gisborne with lesser plantings in Marlborough and Hawkes Bay.
Muller-Thurgau
This grape used to be New Zealand's most heavily cropped variety although it has now dropped to
less than 8% of what was produced 10 years ago. It is rarely exported and is
more often packaged in casks rather than bottles. The best New
Zealand muller-thurgau’s have a flower-petal like fragrance with a
ripe fruitiness reminiscent of crisp apples. There is a tendency for
muller-thurgau’s to lack acidity and often this has to be
compensated for through back-blending. They are generally produced
as light bodied, slightly sweet wines styled as easy drinking
low-priced wines. It is mostly planted in Gisborne, followed by
Hawkes Bay.
Muscat
These comprise a wide family of high
yielding white and red grapes which demonstrate intense sweet musky
flavours. Mainly used to make very popular Italian style spumante
sweet white sparkling wines and some dessert wines. Also widely used
in cheap blended sweet white wines. Predominantly grown in Gisborne.
Pinot Gris
An outstanding chardonnay substitute,
pinot gris is rapidly becoming more popular in New Zealand vineyards
and is now the 4th most highly planted variety. Savoury, with an
earthy stone-fruit or apple or pear flavours, pinot gris offers an
alternative to the higher profile dry whites. This is a variety
which is becoming increasingly fashionable among the wine drinking
public and it is predicted to have an enormous potential for New
Zealand winemakers. Pinot gris is mainly grown in Marlborough, Otago
and Hawkes Bay.
Reichensteiner
This is an early ripening, high
cropping cross of muller thurgau. It has a light fruity character
with a honey background taste, It is used mainly in blends to create
inexpensive sweet white cask and sparkling wines. The bulk of
reichensteiner is grown in the Gisborne area.
Riesling
The best New Zealand rieslings are
grown in the cooler parts of the country from Wellington south with
more than 80% being grown in the South Island. Local rieslings range
in style from bone-dry to sweet late harvest styles and everything
in between. The flavours tend to
have a citrus character, good natural acidity with honied overtones
and a rich honeysuckle bouquet when mature. New Zealand rieslings are much underrated!
Sauvignon
Blanc
Sauvignon blanc is the grape variety
that put New Zealand on the international wine map. It is now
New Zealand's most planted variety and is successfully grown in each
of the main wine growing regions. Those produced in the North Island
tend to be softer and less herbaceous than those grown in the south.
More than 80% of sauvignon blancs are grown in the Marlborough area,
most displaying the pungent, grassy green flavours that overseas
markets associate with the New Zealand style. New Zealand sauvignon
blancs are generally unoaked with flavours including capsicum,
gooseberry, nectarine or passionfruit. It is a wine that you will
either love or hate. It may not be subtle but it is definitely
delicious!
Semillon
Semillon has only been used in New
Zealand for a relatively short time, most disappearing into blends
although some winemakers are starting to make straight varietal
wines. These wines have a spicy, herbaceous smell and taste of lime,
lemon, melon or tropical pineapple flavours with a good natural
acidity. It is a useful, zingy, flavour-packed variety and is often
blended with sauvignon blanc to produce a crisp edge which enhances
the wine’s longevity. Most is planted in Gisborne with lesser
plantings in Marlborough and Hawkes Bay.
Viognier
Viognier is a relative "new kid on the block" in New Zealand. This
Rhone Valley variety was saved from the brink of extinction and is
yielding very promising wines. Like chardonnay it can be oaked or
unoaked. It can be full and richly concentrated with sweet fruit
flavours of peach, pear, nutmeg or apricot. Its scented floral
aromas makes it a good match with Asian cuisines, pork or chicken.
Most viogniers are intended to be consumed young. It is often used
to soften wines made predominantly with syrah grapes. About 80 per cent of the
vines are grown around Hawke's Bay and Gisborne.
 Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc, a happier vine in cooler regions than cabernet
sauvignon, is one of New Zealand’s more important red wine
varieties. These wines tend to be light and fruity, low in tannin
with some acidity. It is usually used in blends with cabernet
sauvignon or merlot because its sweet finish is useful to counter
their savoury flavours. Plantings are concentrated mainly in Hawkes
Bay and Auckland.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet sauvignon has not always been a success in New Zealand. Too
often the grapes are not fully ripe when picked especially because
it is a late ripening variety and it requires late summer heat to
ripen the grapes fully. However, with the improvement in vineyard
management there has been a steady improvement in flavour. More than
80% of the country's cabernet sauvignon hails from the warmer North
Island growing regions, namely Hawkes Bay, Auckland and Northland
with very little growing anywhere further south than Marlborough.
Most NZ cabernet sauvignons are made in more forward softer styles
for drinking at 3-5 years. Much of this grape variety is also
blended with merlot to produce an easier drinking wine.
Malbec
A highly tannic early ripening grape
that is rarely used in New Zealand to produce stand-alone wines. It
is normally blended in small quantities with merlot and cabernet
sauvignon to build structure into New Zealand Bordeaux style red
wine blends. Primarily grown in Hawkes Bay with its warmer climate.
Merlot
The potential for merlot in New Zealand is enormous. Over the
lengthy ripening season in our cool climate, merlot is able to
slowly build and concentrate its flavours. In the past merlot was
principally produced as a blending variety, particularly with
cabernet sauvignon because of its ability to soften its harsh
tannins. Where cabernet may lack weight on the middle palate, when
blended with merlot the flavour is filled out nicely and length and
persistence are added to the taste. However, it is now seen as a
premium variety in its own right. Merlot produces red wines of
alluring richness, plumpness and suppleness and its early drinking
appeal is a boon to wine lovers. About 70% of New Zealand's merlot
is grown in Hawkes Bay with the majority of the balance split
between Marlborough and Gisborne.
Pinot Noir
Although a challenging grape to grow, pinot noir has had a
rapid surge in popularity and quality and is set to become New
Zealand's next big wine style - a premium red to stand alongside
sauvignon blanc on the international stage . It is the most
important red wine grape variety in Wellington, Waipara, Canterbury
and Central Otago. It yields wine which has a good colour and a
soft, fruity palate. It can also be velvety smooth but with power
strength and complexity. Its flavours and aromas are reminiscent of
sweet strawberries, raspberries, cherries or plums. With age it
develops complex mushroom and earthy characters. Pinot noir is also
an important ingredient in New Zealand’s best sparkling white
wines produced in Marlborough. Pinot noir is now the second most widely
planted and cropped grape variety in New Zealand.
Pinotage
A cross between pinot noir and cinsault (also known as hermitage),
pinotage, as a commercially grown variety, is produced mainly in
South Africa and New Zealand with small plantings in other parts of
Africa and in California. Sometimes regarded as 'coarse', a well
made pinotage is a soft, medium-bodied, early maturing, peppery
wine, less tannic than cabernet sauvignon, with a pleasant berry
like flavour and a smooth finish. Some winemakers see it as the most
underrated grape variety in New Zealand. Few New Zealand winemakers
make wines exclusively from this grape, preferring to use it in
blends. New Zealand plantings are mostly centred in Auckland,
Northland, Hawkes Bay and Gisborne.
Syrah
Plantings of this relatively
late-ripening grape have grown steadily since the 1990's, especially
in Hawkes Bay (where more than 70% is grown) and Wellington. Not as
bold as the typical Australian shiraz (the same grape variety), New
Zealand's syrahs tend to result in earthy and spicy wines. Often
blended with cabernet sauvignon to improve the balance and tannin
structure. New clones are improving the ripening performance of New
Zealand syrahs.
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