New Zealand

Front 1

Location/topography/geography

Back 1

- Long, narrow country (size of Champagne)
- Latitudes between Bdx and Lebanon --> countered by the Pacific, mountains and rainclouds: cooler than statistics suggest.
- Altitudes up to 3.750m, but vineyards usually grown on flat or gently sloping land.

Front 2

Climate, in general terms

Back 2

Predominantly cold maritime.
--> comparison with Morocco and Bdx latitude irrelevant by maritime isolation.
- Sub-tropical Auckland.
- Dry continental Central Otago (large diurnal temperature variation; extremes summer and winter time)

Front 3

Weather, factors which create vintage vatiation

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- Significant rainfall, usually on the west coast --> most of the vineyards are planted on the east coast; protected by Central Mountain range.
- Frost can also be a problem (2007 Marlborough), esp in spring and autumn.

Front 4

Soil

Back 4

- Varied soil types.
- Often fertile --> 150y ago there was rainforest: rich in nutrients and grow too vigorously.
- Recent work into researching soil type before planting, vineyards are now planted away from the fertile free draining soils of the original plantings.

Front 5

Soil
Southern Island

Back 5

Southern Island flat river valleys: free draining stony loam, covered by similar stones to the 'galettes roulée' of CNdP --> store heat during the day and release at night.

Front 6

Soil
Northern Island

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Other soil types are clay and sandy loam, higher water retention necessitates inter-row crops, draining channels and appropriate rootstock choice to minimise vigour. --> high rainfall

Front 7

Grape varieties

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- Cool climate well suited for white varieties and PN.
- Tip of Southern Island: cool, bright, sunny and windy --> ideal for SB.
- Chard, SB and PN 75% of plantings.

Front 8

White grapes

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- SB, Chardonnay, PG, Riesling.
- Gewürztraminer, Müller-Thurgau

Front 9

Black grapes

Back 9

- PN, Merlot, CS.
- Syrah

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Sauvignon Blanc

Back 10

- 58% of all plantings
- 2011 70% SB --> most planted variety, predominantly in Marlborough.
- Vigorous vine: lo vigour rootstock and canopy management.-

Front 11

SB: characteristics

Back 11

- Distinctive capsicum, cut grass and elderflower flavours.
- SB in the Northern Island loses some herbaceousness and gains riper characters of exotic fruit.
- Barrel age gives complex smoky and nutty character that complements the herbaceous character.

Front 12

Chardonnay

Back 12

- 9%: PN overtook since 2006 with 15%
- Hardy, easy to grow and versatile.
- Can produce interesting wines, even at hi yields.
- Different style, but onoaked becoming more common.

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Pinot Gris

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- 7%
- Increasingly popular w Riesling, Gewürzrtraminer and Vionier --> esp in Southern Island: Waipara, Central Otago, Marlborough.

Front 14

Riesling

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- 2%
- Expressive grape
- Hi quality potential.
- Hardy and versatile (dry and sweet).
- Aging potential.
- Increasingly popular w PG and Gewürtztraminer, on Southern Island: Waipara, Central Otago, Marlborough

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Müller-Thurgau

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- Formerly main grape of NZ.
- Producing neutral easy drinking wine for bulk supply.
- Now largely replaced w quality Int varieties.

Front 16

Pinot Noir

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- 15% --> overtook Chard in 2006
- Main areas: Martinborough, Merlborough, Central Otago

Front 17

PN: characteristics

Back 17

- Quality similar to Burgundy; but, more fruit concentration, higher alcohol and tannins.
- Powerful, yet elegant with velvet tannins and bright red fruit.

Front 18

Merlot

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- 4%
- CF x Madeleine Noir des Charentes.
- Early flowering, prone to rot.
- Respond better to damp, cool soils. Dry summers in well drained soils, can lead to under-ripeness.
- Mainly grown in Hawkes' Bay and Auckland.
- Producing full-bodied Bdx.

Front 19

Cabernet Sauvignon

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- 1%
- CF x SB
- Small-sized berries w concentrated phenolics.
- Aging potential and affinity to oak.
- Mainly grown in Hawkes' Bay and Auckland
- Producing full-bodied Bdx.

Front 20

Syrah

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- 1%
- becoming increasingly popular.
- Mainly grown in Hawkes' Bay and Auckland.
- Producing full-bodied Rhône style.

Front 21

Viticulture

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- World leader in canopy management and trellising techniques following the work from Dr Richard Smart in the 80s.
- Key hazards: spring/autumn frosts, phylloxera (94% grafted) and birds (netting, noise and shooters)
- NZ sustainable vinegrowing

Front 22

Vinification

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- Stainless steel, temperature controle and high standard of hygiene (transferred from dairy industry) --> wines with pure, intense varietal expression.
- (De)acidification allowed
- 2/3 use screw cap closure

Front 23

Key regions and characteristics
North Island

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- 8000 ha
- Warmer climate vs south w vineyards on the eastern coast to benefit from rain protection.
- Auckland
- Gisborne
- Hawkes' Bay
- Wellington (Martinborough and Wairarapa)

Front 24

Key regions and characteristics
South Island

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- 27.500 ha
- Started much later than in the north, but expanded very fast, despite being more marginal.
- Nelson
- Marlborough
- Canterbury
- Central Otago

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Auckland

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- North Island
- 320 ha
- North and west of Auckland city.
- Rainy, sub-tropical climate: NZ warmest wine-region --> cloud cover moderates (like in Hunter).
- Heavy, clay based soils --> drain poorly --> inter-row crops, drainage channels, good choice of rootstock.
- Bdx style blends and high potential Syrah.

Front 26

Gisborne

Back 26

- North Island
- 1.600 ha
- East coast of North Island
- Warm (and wetter than H'B) and sunny w mainly fertile loamy soils. --> harvest 2 weeks later than H'B.
- Almost exclusively whites: Chard is signature, but SB and PG from the south took over.

Front 27

Hawkes' Bay

Back 27

- North Island
- 4.800 ha: 2nd largest of NZ
- Historical region, 1st winery Te Mata
- South of Gisborne, along east coast of North Island.
- Around Hastings and Napier.
- 80s worship of CS (not alway ripen fully), now more early ripening Merlot, Malbec and Syrah (2/3 of NZ plantings). Also lots of fashionable SB.
- Famous for sub-region Gimlett Gravels

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Gimlett Gravels

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- 800 ha
- Sub-region of Hawkes' Bay, northwest of Hastings.
- Well-drained (very poor) gravel site where CS and Merlot produce high quality Bdx style blends, and promising Syrah.
- NZ answer to Bdx; they may evolve more rapidly, but cost very much less.

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Wairarapa

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- 950 ha
- (Southern tip of the) North Island.
- Coolest climate NI and free draining low fertility soils: gravel, silts and clay.
- Martinborough is a sub-region.
- Small boutique wineries esp around Martinborough.
- Rich, full bodied, cherry flavoured PN.
- PG, SB (2nd most planted)

Front 30

Marlborough

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- South Island
- Based around Blenheimn northeastern tip.
- 22.500 ha (60% of NZ plantings) x4 since 2000
- NZ sunniest area
- Long days, cold nights, bright sunshine and (in good years) dry autumns. --> key hazard is autumn rain.

Front 31

Key vineyards Marlborough

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- Best vineyards on stony, free draining soils:
- Warau
- Waihopai
- Awatere (slightly drier, cooler and windier).

Front 32

Marlborough wines

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- 80% planted of all SB in NZ
- 75% of NZ volume
- Bigger producers of SB blend fruit grown on different soils
- Produces also PN, Chardonnay, PG (domestically popular), Riesling (also some late harvest.

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Nelson

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- Southern Island
- Northwest of Marlborough
- 960ha
- Warm and sunny, but can suffer from autumn rains --> ripening is a challenge.
- Hardly any big company influence.

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Nelson
Wines

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- Freshly herbaceous SB
- Sturdy rich Chardonnay
- Strong reputation for aromatic whites, Riesling and increasingly popular PG.

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Canterbury

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- South Island
- Central east coast, around Christchurch.
- 2.200 ha
- Chardonnay and PN are main varieties (most Burgundian style of NZ), Riesling and SB (4th) come next.
- Cool and dry region (frost is a threat); to cool to ripen Bdx varieties
- Key area is Waipara

Front 36

Waipara

Back 36

- Key region in Canterbury
- 1000 ha
- North of Canterbury city.
- Sheltered valley with long, dry summers and autumns.
- Rapid vineyards expansion; esp aromatics and PN.
- Calcareous loam, clay and limestone deposits.
- Pegasus Bay was pioneer: reputation for Riesling.
- Most other producers concentrate on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Front 37

Central Otago

Back 37

- South Island
- 1800 ha (200ha in 1997)
- Inland in south of SI
- High altitude, planted amongst the Southern Alps, to maximize sun exposure and reduce frost risk.
- Continental climate due to protection of the Alps: hot, short and dry summers and cold winters w snow. Frost in spring and autumn is hazard.
- One of the last established wine region but catching up fast.

Front 38

Central Otago
Wines

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- Intense PN (75%) (so dry that even rot prone PN rarely suffers from fungal diseases).
- High alcohol: not subtlest in the world.
- Chardonnay, SB, Riesling, PG and Gewürztraminer.

Front 39

Scale of production and industry significance

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- 37.000 ha (21.000 ha in 2004)
- 1.900.000 hl/y
- 85% exported: 35% to the UK, 30% to AUS, 20% to USA.
- 92% of exports are white wines.
- 6 large producers make 80-85% of production

Front 40

Key producers NZ

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- Montana (Pernod Ricard since 2005)
- Nobilo (Constellations Brand since 2003)
- Villa Maria Estates

Front 41

Legislation

Back 41

- 2006: GI Registration Act based on AUS GI program.
- 2007: Labeling laws state that wines must have 85% of variety, vintage and area stated on the label.

Front 42

History
Part I

Back 42

- 1819: first vines planted on NI Auckland and H'B: Reverend Marsden; Dalmation settlers: Dally Plonk.
- Romero Bragato, government viticulturist, advised on areas suitable for viticulture.
- 1885: Phylloxera hit, probably from California
- 19-20th: small scale production: Brit settlers prefer beer or AUS wine --> fortified and bulk wine.

Front 43

History
Part 2

Back 43

- 1955: shops allowed to sell to customers directly.
- 1958: imports on beer/wine taxed
- 1960: replacement of old VL w VV
- 1973: first vines planted in Marlborough by Montana (now Brancott Estate)
- 1985: David Hohnen of Cape Mentelle (Margret River WA) launched Cloudy Bay.
- 1990: supermarkets allowed to sell wine