New Zealand is home to 10 wine regions. Our Antipodean neighbour produces just one per cent of the world's wine, but offers a wide array of varieties and styles.
When we say New Zealand wine, sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, chardonnay, and pinot noir probably come to mind. While those four varietals account for 90 per cent of the country's wine production, there is an increase in riesling, gewürztraminer, syrah, and sparking wines being produced. There's also an array of fresh, fruit-focused and textural rosé wines coming through from Marlborough, Central Otago and Hawke’s Bay.
Below are eight wines to try – add them to your list.
NV Quartz Reef Methode Traditionnelle Brut
A sparkling wine exuding elegance and finesse. Pale yellow with a bouquet of green apple and hints of lime and brioche. On the palate this wine is flirtatious and moreish, and is enhanced by an invigorating, creamy acidity. Focused, cool and crisp with beautiful balance and length.Food pairing suggestion: Oysters or soft cheeses like camembert and brie.
2020 Valli Bendigo Vineyard Pinot Noir
Bright garnet hue with an array of savoury, dark fruit, and floral aromas including forest floor, plum, mushroom, ripe cherry, cedar, raspberry, and azalea. The palate is equally complex with layers of dark fruit, spice, and umami that are woven together by a fresh vein of acidity. The texture is rich and mouth-filling with silky, fine tannins that build in the mouth giving a long, memorable finish. Powerful yet inviting, this is another vintage of quintessential Bendigo pinot with a tangy freshness that comes from grapes grown at elevation. This wine is captivating yet approachable in its youth and should develop beautifully for at least 12 years.Food pairing suggestion: Duck is the classic pinot pairing, but you can also try the 2020 with Thai dishes and oily fish like salmon and tuna.
2021 Jules Taylor Wines Marlborough Chardonnay
Chardonnay is one of the unsung heroes of Marlborough, but it's also a wine that can divide the room. Jules’ take on this variety is a far cry from the big buttery chardonnay bombs from the 1990s. Instead, Jules prefers a wine with delicate freshness and attractive fruit flavours that express the vineyards where they were grown. With only 10 per cent new oak and a partial malolactic ferment, this elegant wine will convert even the most die-hard chardonnay lovers.Food pairing suggestion: Barbecued crayfish tails with garlic butter, alternatively try this chardonnay with a baked brie topped with honey and walnuts.
2022 Nautilus Marlborough Albariño
On the nose, this single vineyard wine shows fragrant white peaches and fresh jasmine, with hints of honeydew melon and ripe citrus. The palate is flavoursome and mouth-filling with a refreshing zingy finish.Food pairing suggestion: Pair this albariño with pancetta-wrapped scallops with saffron and herb risotto.
2022 Dog Point Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
Pale straw in colour, this wine is a pure expression of Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc with lifted aromatics of Granny Smith apple and lemon rind. Floral tones of orange blossoms and elderflower burst from the glass. Bright citrus flavours from an elegant year, followed by saline acidity, wash across the palate to leave subtle tropical tones that unfurl on the finish. Drinks beautifully now or can comfortably be cellared for five or more years.Food pairing suggestion: Delicate fish paired with crisp green vegetables.
2020 Toi Toi Reserve Marlborough Pinot Gris
Deliciously mouth-filling with richness and intensity. A well-structured wine showing ripe stone fruit, nashi pear, melon and floral notes.Food pairing suggestion: Roasted chicken served with lentils and green salad.
2019 Blank Canvas Abstract Three Rows Sauvignon Blanc
If classic Marlborough sauvignon blanc is all fruit and zing, Abstract exists in another dimension altogether. It’s our ‘savoury blanc’, where texture and aromatic complexity bedazzle, and where vineyard and winemaking contribute equally. Just three rows of a dry-farmed parcel are hand-picked from the Holdaway Vineyard in Dillons Point. There’s an intense and seductive perfume of blackcurrant and white florals, while winemaking lends savouriness and flinty minerality. Wild-fermented in seasoned French oak puncheons and lees-aged for 14 months – this is a wine rich in texture. With elegance and beautiful balance, this wine is for enjoyment now but will age with grace and dignity.Food pairing suggestion: Goat's cheese, oysters and other shellfish.
2021 Felton Road Central Otago Pinot Noir Calvert
Perfumed floral notes among a background of dark fruits, Indian spice and a savoury earthiness. The vines, now 20 years old, are deeply settled in the silt soils of this remarkable site – providing a distinctive and consistent vineyard expression. Florality, subtlety and harmony, with finely chiseled tannins, are the hallmarks of Calvert. This 2021 is as fine as it gets.Food pairing suggestion: Yum cha, or the ultimate cheese platter complete with creamy brie, goat’s and blue cheeses.
