Wines from New Zealand and Australia
Part 2: New Zealand in a Bottle
By Jens Strecker of
Portalis Wines
The wines from New Zealand’s two islands could
hardly be more different from those of Australia. Although the
countries share a fondness for growing certain grapes (like
Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, many of New Zealand’s most
exciting wines (Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir) are grown in
comparatively small amounts in Australia.
In the 1980s, New Zealand experienced a revolution in winemaking
similar to that which had occurred in Australia a decade before. Old
grapes gave way to new ones; vineyards dedicated to the production
of nondescript fortified wines yielding to plantings of Sauvignon
Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Noir. Almost overnight, state-of-the-art
wineries appeared where backward facilities once stood, and by the
end of the 90s, New Zealand had one of the most dynamic wine
industries in the New World, led by a small army of boutique
producers from Auckland on the North Island to Christchurch in the
middle of the South.
Today, both Islands lay claim to making superb wines, with the
cooler-climate vineyards of the South Island more likely to nurture
white grapes, and the relatively warmer sites in the North those of
the red persuasion.
As in Australia, the most widely planted white grape is the
ubiquitous Chardonnay. Top honors for the most popular red, however,
belongs to Cabernet Sauvignon.
Wine Picks
Dashwood Pinot Noir 2001, Marlborough, New Zealand; $12.50
Dashwood’s PN is a classic example of a cool-climate red wine. The
nose is ripe with aromas of wild cherries and strawberries brushed
with light strokes of spice and earth. The palate offers bright
flavors of sweet red fruits mixed with nutmeg and clove.
Vidal Estate Chardonnay 2000, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand; $15
One of Hawkes Bay’s oldest boutique wineries! Founder Anthony Joseph
Vidal created a perfectly balanced Chardonnay with fragrances of
fresh peaches, nectarines with a swirl of toasted vanilla oak and
mouthwatering citrus tingles. It is VIDAL that you get this.
Vavasour Riesling 2000, Marlborough, New Zealand; $14
Vavasour’s gingery lemon drop of a Kiwi Riesling practically begs to
be sipped at sunset, after a crunchy day at the beach. It’s a slam
dunk of a drink next to a pile of sweet corn and freshly boiled
crabs, with the wine’s origami acidity and pinch of sugar creating a
finely folded backdrop for anything spicy, salty or a touch sweet.
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