Added: 09/06/2005 |
A tour of New Zealand wine regionsThe "Clean green" country is located on the islands, positioned about 1800 miles east of Australia. New Zealand is a country of dramatic contrasts with dense, native forest and snow-capped mountains. Perhaps, New Zealand islands are the world's most ancient and ecologically unspoiled place. There are two main islands - North Island and South Island.
All of New Zealand wine regions offer the visitor a stunning scenery, recreational activities and fine Pacific Rim cuisine to complement our wines. You will find that the vineyards have lots of rustic charm, and great hospitality. A number of New Zealand wineries have cellar door sales and tastings.
The best known of New Zealand wine regions is Marlborough. It has become widely known for the stunning Sauvignon Blancs which are made there. The free-draining stony soils and cool climate of this region are the perfect conditions for Sauvignon Blanc growing. Pinot Noir is the other 'up-and-coming' type among several other grape varieties grown in Marlborough.
The other growing region of the South Island is Central Otago. It is the southernmost commercial wine region in the world and the only New Zealand wine region with a continental climate. This region of climatic extremes is just ideal for Pinot Noir and Riesling. Some of the best Kiwi Pinots are coming from Central Otago. The region is one of the fastest growing wine regions in the country.
Located on the east coast of the North Island, Gisborne is one of the largest of New Zealand wine regions. Predominantly Gisborne is a white wine region; the grapes raised in Gisborne have traditionally been used primarily for blending. However, premium wine has become the focus and sub regions such as Poverty bay are knocking out smashing wines. Wines from this region are zippy and fresh, and perfectly designed to be drunk young.
Also on the North Island, Hawke's Bay is New Zealand's oldest and most prestigious area, It has a 100-year heritage in wine- making, about 2800 ha of vineyards and an ideal microclimate conditions to produce a range of wine styles. This wine region is the driest in New Zealand. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot have been well accepted. Sauvignon Blanc varieties tend to be fruity and Shiraz varieties are showing good prospects. Bordeaux blends and Sauvignon Blancs are really the stars of the region.
By the way, only one third of New Zealand wineries are located in Marlborough, Hawke's Bay and Gisborne, but these regions produce 90% of the national grape harvest.
Other New Zealand wine regions include: Nelson (some of the country's best "boutique wineries"), Martinborough (a sub-sub region of Wellington County, making top Pinot Noirs), Canterbury (outside Christchurch), Auckland County (over 80 wineries, mainly red wines), Waikato (excellent region for late harvest Botrytized wines).
The variation in the harvesting date of Chardonnay grape is a good illustration to the differences in climate of New Zealand wine regions. The difference in harvesting seasons may amount to 50 days: in the regions of Northland, Auckland and Gisborne, Chardonnay grapes might begin to be harvested in late February or early March while in Central Otago, Chardonnay grapes may first be picked in mid to late April.
Article comments:
No comments for this article yet. Post your comment now!
