Guide to New Zealand Wines The New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ocean New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and specifically Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc have been pretty much synonymous with New Zealand wine until fairly recently. Indeed even in 2023 Sauvignon Blanc still accounted for 65%* of New Zealand’s total wine grape vineyard area – and most of that was in Marlborough, 58% of New Zealand’s total vineyard area. Amazing facts especially when you consider that the grape was first planted in Marlborough only in 1975. You cannot ignore the importance of this grape as it thrust New Zealand onto the international wine scene. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc still clearly has its fans. Many have fallen for its aromatics, its crisp zing and unique flavours of gooseberry, red peppers with hints of passionfruit and fresh cut grass. As Sauvignon Blanc production started to become more commercial in the 1970s, at the lower end of the market (encouraged, it has to be said, by retailers importing into the UK and other countries), the bigger, tropical-fruit style of Marlborough Sauvignon dominated some markets. However a wider variety of styles has since evolved as producers embraced the diversity of the different terroirs even within Marlborough itself and used that to their advantage such that now New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has become an international benchmark for many. The modern, more terroir-focussed and more subtle style of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is evident in the more premium end of the market. Te Whare Ra Sauvignon Blanc and Auntsfield Estates Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc are two great examples and both are consistently two of my customers’ favourite white wines. In addition, both are loved by me, once a self-professed Sauvignon Blanc hater! In fact Anna Flowerday of Te Whare Ra once described their Sauvignon Blanc as “a Sauvignon Blanc for people who think they don’t like Sauvignon Blanc”. At this higher but not necessarily too expensive end of the market, producers are experimenting further with different techniques such as lees ageing and even oak aging and so we are going to keep seeing Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc on the radar for some time to come.   If the zingy freshness of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is too crisp for your palate, try a New Zealand Sauvignon blended with Semillon, like Pegasus Bay Sauvignon Semillon. The Semillon softens that crispness and makes the wine a little rounder.   However, there is so much more to New Zealand wine than Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc as you are about to discover. Why try New Zealand wine? There are a number of underlying reasons why you should try New Zealand wine: Diversity of soils This is one of New Zealand’s major benefits and it allows them to grow a wide variety of grapes and produce a wide variety of styles as explained below. In addition it is partly responsible for an abundance of terroir-focused wines. Diversity of micro-climates The climate as a whole is temperate maritime which makes it generally a cool-climate region. This means that New Zealand has an advantage in the production of premium wines. That is not to say that New Zealand doesn’t produce more commercial styles of wine. It does but there is an increasing focus on making great wine. The variety of micro-climates contributes to the focus on terroir. Commitment to sustainability New Zealand is at the forefront of sustainability. It was one of the first to establish a formal sustainability programme – in 1995. Today 96% of New Zealand’s vineyards are certified as sustainable and other countries are following its lead. You can read more about this commitment below. Innovation It is argued that, with a relatively new wine industry, New Zealand is not hampered by commitments to long-standing traditions. It is certainly true to say that New Zealand has been a driving force in several areas of experimentation and innovation such as canopy management which is the leaf cover over vines and can have a significant impact on the quality and quantity of grapes fermentation techniques remote temperature control which helps to reduce energy thus adding to its sustainability credentials and screwcaps – New Zealand was one of the first wine-producing countries to start using screwcaps even for its quality wines and now 95% of NZ wines are under screwcap.   Collaboration in the New Zealand wine industry New Zealand Winegrowers is the only unified national winegrowers industrial body in the world with almost all New Zealand wineries and grape growers signed up as members. The organisation supports members in many different ways – education, advocacy, research to name but a few – and has a real collaborative feel. One of its most important roles is promoting “Brand New Zealand” worldwide. Its brand refresh in 2023, Altogether Unique, highlights New Zealand Wine’s three pillars – purity, innovation and care – and helps support and grow New Zealand wine’s reputation in a very competitive market. Other New Zealand wine styles Aside from Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, what else can New Zealand offer wine drinkers? After I previously wrote about Old World & New World wines (blogpost being updated and to be re-published soon) it is interesting to see that New Zealand Wine, mainly lists as the wine styles that New Zealand has to offer the different grape varieties that are grown there. Wine styles therefore include Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon. Their approach is mirrored below. New Zealand Pinot Noir The second most-planted grape variety in New Zealand is Pinot Noir which accounted for around 14% of the vineyard area (up from 9% in 2016) followed by Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Merlot, Riesling and many more grape varieties. If you have not yet tried a Pinot Noir from New Zealand, you really should. In my opinion New Zealand Pinot Noir is generally speaking one of the best in the world, hence why I have two different Pinots in the Wines With Attitude® portfolio. They differ in style due to the diversity of climates and soils but generally are intense in flavour, fruity