New Zealand Wines

Saturday, September 1st
4:30 - 7:00

In the early 1980's, no one outside of New Zealand was really drinking their wines.  The wine production favored quantity over quality, and the bulk wine made was pretty basic.  In the later part of that decade though, a handful of dedicated small producers really started to concentrate on quality, and finding the perfect grape for their climate.  These groundbreaking producers discovered that their terroir, (the combination of climate, environment, geology, aspect and more), worked wonders with the Sauvignon Blanc grape, and delivered wines of a specific style and flavor that were unique and delicious.  Critics and consumers noticed, and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc exploded upon the wine scene in the late 1990's and early 2000's.  This zesty, crisp, bright style wine became a sensation, and quickly made a mark as one of the most popular styles of wine.  New Zealand's wine community exploded, and grew exponentially.  In the early 1990's there were only about 30-40 New Zealand wineries, but by 2018 that number had grown to 700.  Sauvignon Blanc is still the shining star of production, but overall success has led to continued experimentation and exploration, and there are now over 20 grape varieties grown on over 94,000 planted acres.  They find a lot of success with Alsatian or Germanic varieties like Riesling, Gewürztraminer, or Pinot Gris, but easily their most successful grape after Sauvignon Blanc is Pinot Noir.  We love New Zealand Pinot Noir, and probably offer more selections than most stores in the area.  New Zealand Pinot Noirs work in a very similar way to Oregon Pinot Noir, hitting a great balance between the Old World and New World styles.  They have lovely deep fruit, while not being as big and rich as most California Pinots; they have lively acidity and excellent spice and earth tones, but not quite as much as the best Burgundies in France.  On this Saturday, we'll try a number of different New Zealand wines to see the similarities and contrasts.  We compare two different Sauvignon Blancs, a lovely Pinot Gris, and two Pinot Noirs, one that leans more California-esqe, and one more Burgundian.  If you are staying in town for the holiday weekend, come see us!

Fernlands Sauvignon Blanc
Marlborough, New Zealand, 2017

Marisco 'The King's Favour' Sauvignon Blanc
Marlborough, New Zealand, 2017

The Ned Pinot Gris
Marlborough, New Zealand, 2017

Ten Sisters Pinot Noir
Marlborough, New Zealand, 2016

The Ned Pinot Noir
Marlborough, New Zealand, 2016