Our region-by-region guide to New Zealand’s key wines and best cellar-door experiences. The pre-match warm-up starts here.
Since Marlborough sauvignon blanc bungy-jumped from New Zealand onto the world stage to thrill wine lovers with its turbocharged flavours, this once insignificant winegrowing nation has seen its vineyards proliferate at breakneck speed. In recent years, elegant New Zealand pinot noirs have got aficionados’ adrenaline pumping, with this pernickety variety’s success propelling it into the position of the country’s most widely planted red. Also creating a buzz of late are its fresh and vibrant aromatic whites and peppery cool-climate syrah (shiraz).
Winemakers are also venturing off-piste to explore new and lesser-known varieties, from the viognier that’s been gaining ground to more obscure grapes such as grüner veltliner and arneis. While New Zealand has its share of larger players, it’s also home to hundreds of boutique wineries.
Looking for more wine chat? Read our wine critics' list of the their
top 25 reds. Spread across superb scenery from the tip of the country in Northland to the world’s most southerly vineyards of Central Otago, their owners can often be found manning the cellar door and sharing with visitors the passion they have for their products. Visitors to this year’s Rugby World Cup will be well positioned to see for themselves. Here is what you need to know about the country’s key wine regions.
Marlborough
Flying into Blenheim, in the South Island, vineyards stretch to the horizon. Since the first sauvignon blanc vines were planted here in the 1970s, the unique style produced has transformed a rural backwater into NZ’s largest wine region. This is sauvignon country; home to the vibrant and passionfruit-packed examples that only Marlborough can make and which now account for more than 75 per cent of the region’s production. Don’t overlook pinot noir, as it’s also scaling new heights in the Awatere and Southern Valleys; or aromatics such as pinot gris and riesling, which grow alongside sauvignon, sharing its vivid character.
ESSENTIAL CELLAR DOORS
Auntsfield Estate
Marlborough’s first and oldest commercial vineyard, established on the slopes of the southern hills of the Wairau Valley in the 1870s, has been resurrected recently by the quality-focused Cowley family, who have established a chic cellar door and lead tours of the historic site and rammed-earth wine cellar.
auntsfield.co.nz
Forrest Estate
Innovation is what doctors John and Brigid Forrest have prescribed for their estate, whose casual-vibe cellar door boasts one of the region’s widest ranges of lesser-known grape varieties, as well as quintessential local classics.
forrest.co.nz
Hunter’s
Sample the wines of sauvignon pioneer Hunter’s in the wooden villa that serves as its cellar door, and grab a relaxed bite to eat at its cafe, which is set in a lush native garden dotted with sculptures.
hunters.co.nz
SIGNATURE WINEMAKERS
Some of the country’s most exciting sauvignons issue from Dog Point, a joint venture of ex-Cloudy Bay winemakers James Healy and Ivan Sutherland. At Marlborough pinot noir pathfinder Fromm Winery, Hätsch Kalberer makes long-lived, European-influenced wines. While the country’s largest family-owned winery, Villa Maria, makes great wines across the country, some particularly impressive examples hail from
the Marlborough region.
DON’T LEAVE WITHOUT
Astrolabe Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010, $NZ20
($15). Dog Point Section 94 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2009, $NZ34 ($26).
Churton Marlborough Pinot Noir 2008 $NZ40 ($31).
Forrest Estate Marlborough Grüner Veltliner The Doctors’ 2010, $NZ29 ($22).
wine-marlborough.co.nz
Hawkes Bay & Gisborne
Hawkes Bay and Gisborne, on the east coast of the North Island, vie for the title of chardonnay capital of NZ, but both offer richer pickings than just this one grape. Traditionally the source of blends of Bordeaux varieties, Hawkes Bay also excels in syrah and riper styles of sauvignon blanc and aromatic whites. Further north, the Gisborne region also stands out from the pack with its rich examples of viognier and gewürztraminer, as well as emerging varieties such as arneis.
ESSENTIAL CELLAR DOORS
Craggy Range
Rapidly rising to become a regional leading light, the sophistication of Craggy Range wines is echoed by its classy cellar door and restaurant complex.
craggyrange.com
Mission Estate
Look out over the region and sample a wide range of wines from the magnificent historic former seminary that houses Hawkes Bay’s first winery.
missionestate.co.nz
Matawhero
A characterful piece of Gisborne wine history, the old Matawhero cellar door has been restored by the Searle family as a base for this revived, world-class label.
matawhero.co.nz
SIGNATURE WINEMAKERS
Variety is the spice of John Hancock’s Trinity Hill establishment, which makes great examples of the region’s standards while pioneering new varieties. Home of the Coleraine Bordeaux blend, Te Mata is one of the region’s oldest wineries and remains one of its greatest under the stewardship of the Buck and Morris families. And James and Annie Millton make some of the country’s most naturally expressive wines at
their Gisborne Millton vineyard.
DON’T LEAVE WITHOUT
Alluviale Gimblett Road Hawkes Bay Red 2008 $NZ30 ($23).
Bilancia Syrah Viognier Hawkes Bay 2008 $NZ33 ($25).
Sacred Hill Rifleman’s Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2009 $NZ55 ($42).
Vinoptima Ormond Gisborne Gewürztraminer
2006 $NZ96 ($73).
winehawkesbay.co.nz
gisbornewine.co.nz
Canterbury Waipara
Some of the county’s earliest vineyards were established in the 1840s by French settlers at Akaroa on the South Island’s Banks Peninsula. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that winegrowing took off in Canterbury, first on the plains, before largely relocating north to the warmer Waipara Valley. Riesling thrives throughout this cooler region, which is also home to exciting pinot noirs, fresh chardonnays and pinot gris.
ESSENTIAL CELLAR DOORS
Langdale Vineyard
This attractive West Melton restaurant and cellar door pours its own and other local wines.
langdalerestaurant.com
The Mud House Winery & Café
One of Waipara’s largest wineries and cellar doors offers tastings of its well-crafted wines from Waipara and beyond, plus vineyard and winery tours.
mudhousewineryandcafe.co.nz
Pegasus Bay
Knowledgably staffed cellar door with tranquil gardens and award-winning restaurant that’s a must-visit on Waipara’s wine trail.
pegasusbay.com
SIGNATURE WINEMAKERS
Pegasus Bay’s Donaldson family put Waipara on the wine map and continues to make intense, refined wines. Marcel Giesen and Sherwyn Veldhuizen of Bell Hill make exquisite wines from the limestone that attracted them to the viticultural terra incognita of Waikari. Dynamic Waipara newcomer Greystone Wines makes pristine aromatics and has recently purchased respected neighbour Muddy Water (wai para means “muddy water”).
DON’T LEAVE WITHOUT
Black Estate Waipara Pinot Noir 2009 $NZ41 ($31).
Kaituna Valley Kaituna Vineyard Canterbury Pinot Noir 2007 $NZ39 ($30).
Mountford Riche Waipara Riesling 2009 $NZ30 ($23).
Muddy Water Waipara Dry Riesling 2009
$NZ30 ($23).
canterburywine.co.nz
waiparawine.co.nz
Central Otago
Back in the 1800s, it was gold that lured prospectors to the rugged terrain of Central Otago in the South Island. By the 1990s, its succulent cherry and spice-infused pinot noir was the new precious commodity in this beautiful region, attracting winemakers, investors and romantics. It now covers three-quarters of Central’s vineyard area, with other treasures to be found among its aromatics and chardonnays.
ESSENTIAL CELLAR DOORS
Amisfield
One of the closest cellar doors to Queenstown, Amisfield’s lakeside establishment boasts both great wine and an award-winning bistro showcasing local fare that shares the winery’s “grown not made” philosophy. amisfield.co.nz
Northburn Station
Get an authentic taste of Otago high country in Northburn’s stone “shed” modelled on a traditional homestead that houses its wines, gourmet meats and goodies from its farm.
northburn.co.nz
Rippon
The views from the vineyard across Lake Wanaka to the mountains may be some of the most sublime in New Zealand, but the wines created on this family-run biodynamic estate
are equally outstanding.
rippon.co.nz
SIGNATURE WINEMAKERS
Legendary flag-waving local winery Felton Road, owned by British expat blues guitarist and entrepreneur Nigel Greening, makes every wine a regional star. From Mt Difficulty Wines’ lofty spot overlooking historic gold sluicings, Matt Dicey produces a top-flight range of wines. Pioneer of the new Bendigo subregion, Austrian-born Rudi Bauer brings forth some of the county’s finest fizz and powerful Bendigo
pinot noir at Quartz Reef.
DON’T LEAVE WITHOUT
Quartz Reef Methode Traditionnelle 2006 $NZ40 ($31). Rippon Mature Vine Pinot
Noir 2008 $NZ55 ($42). Valli Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2008 $NZ55 ($42).
Felton Road Bannockburn Riesling 2010 $NZ27 ($21).
cowa.org.nz/wine-maps.html
Martinborough Wairarapa
Given its sizeable reputation as a pioneering region for pinot noir, visitors to Martinborough in the North Island are often surprised by its diminutive proportions, which allow the centre of its wine trail to be covered on foot. First planted here in the early 1980s, pinot noir is still the big focus but, along with the wider Wairarapa, the area is also the source of great chardonnay and aromatic whites.
ESSENTIAL CELLAR DOORS
Gladstone Vineyard
It’s well worth venturing beyond Martinborough to pay a visit to this old-meets-new Wairarapa-based winery and vineyard cafe that offers particularly impressive pinot noir and sauvignon.
gladstonevineyard.co.nz
Murdoch James
Picturesquely situated cellar door and restaurant, providing walk-in tastings, plus Grape to Glass tours of the winemaking process through its vineyard, winery and underground barrel cellars.
murdochjames.co.nz
Vynfields
Owners John Bell and Kaye McAulay have opened up the elegant lounge of their historic homestead overlooking the vineyards to those interested
in sampling Vynfields’ organic, biodynamic wines. There is also self-contained accommodation.
vynfields.com
SIGNATURE WINEMAKERS
A national treasure, Clive Paton and Phyll Pattie’s long-established Ata Rangi estate consistently makes some of the country’s most seductive pinot noir and chardonnay. Meticulously made and often ridiculously hard to find, Dry River produces structured and age-worthy wines under the guidance of chief winemaker Dr Neil McCallum. Australian-born, New Zealand-based pinot noir pioneer, Larry McKenna also produces one of the country’s most expressive line-ups of the variety at his Escarpment venture on the banks of the Huangarua River.
DON’T LEAVE WITHOUT
Ata Rangi Martinborough Pinot Noir 2009 $NZ65 ($50).
Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009 $NZ70 ($54).
Dry River Martinborough Viognier 2010 $NZ45 ($35).
Palliser Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010 $NZ20 ($15).
winesfrommartinborough.com
wairarapawines.co.nz
Nelson
Art and wine are entwined on the trail that weaves its way through the sundrenched vineyards of the South Island’s boutique and bohemian Nelson. Historically home to some top chardonnays and pinot noirs, in recent years this region has also been carving a niche as a producer of aromatic varieties such as riesling, pinot gris and gewürztraminer.
ESSENTIAL CELLAR DOORS
Neudorf Vineyards
A charming macrocarpa timber cottage and vineyard garden for picnics is the setting for sampling Neudorf’s world-class wines.
neudorf.co.nz
Seifried Estate
This spacious cellar door and restaurant showcases the wide and eclectic range of wines that the Seifried family have made for nearly four decades.
seifried.co.nz
Woollaston Estates
A four-level, gravity-fed winery, panoramic views, great art and stylish organic wines are the drawcards at this architecturally impressive property.
woollaston.co.nz
SIGNATURE WINEMAKERS
Andrew Greenhough crafts fine and subtle wines from some of the region’s oldest vines. Tim and Judy Finn have been behind some of the country’s top pinot noirs and chardonnays at trailblazing Nelson winery Neudorf, while the Bolitho family runs one of the region’s larger wineries, Waimea, producing especially attractive aromatic whites.
DON’T LEAVE WITHOUT
Blackenbrook Vineyard Nelson Muscat 2010 $NZ23 ($18)
Neudorf Moutere Chardonnay 2009 $NZ55 ($42)
Rimu Grove Nelson Pinot Gris 2010 $NZ29 ($22)
Seifried Sweet Agnes Nelson Riesling 2009 $NZ20 ($15)
nelsonwineart.co.nz
Auckland & Northland
Its proximity to New Zealand’s largest city may have driven more decisions to plant vineyards in the Auckland region than its somewhat challenging climate, but it has still managed to produce some truly standout wines. Here, and in Northland in the county’s far north, chardonnay and merlot/cabernet blends have historically proved popular, while syrah is now causing considerable excitement.
ESSENTIAL CELLAR DOORS
Brick Bay
As well as sampling Matakana’s top pinot gris and elegant Bordeaux blends, visitors to the stylish glass pavilion, which hovers over a lake, can relax on the deck and take in the birdlife, or take a stroll through the garden sculpture trail.
brickbay.co.nz
Karikari Estate
Sensational peninsula views and some of the region’s best wines and cafe fare can be found at this Northland estate.
karikariestate.co.nz
Mudbrick
A first-rate restaurant, fabulous coastal vistas and impressive chardonnays and syrahs await at this Waiheke Island estate.
mudbrick.co.nz
SIGNATURE WINEMAKERS
Michael Brajkovich, Master of Wine, crafts an array of fine Burgundy-style chardonnays at his family-run estate, Kumeu River Wines. At Providence, Matakana pioneer Jim Vuletic follows in his father’s footsteps using tried-and-tested traditional methods to produce his internationally revered red blend and syrah. While Stonyridge Larose remains one of the country’s most talked about, and most expensive, collectable cuvees, Dr Stephen White’s organic Waiheke Island winery now also offers the more affordable Fallen Angel range that includes quality classic wine styles, which it sources from other regions that specialise in making them.
DON’T LEAVE WITHOUT
Brick Bay Matakana Pinot Gris 2010 $NZ32 ($24).
Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay 2008 $NZ37 ($28).
Passage Rock Reserve Waiheke Island Syrah 2010 $NZ55 ($42).
Puriri Hills Clevedon 2007 $NZ40 ($31).
northlandwinegrowers.co.nz
matakanawine.com
kumeuwinecountry.co.nz
waihekewine.co.nz
Source Qantas The Australian Way August 2011