New Zealand Fine Wine

Few countries have enjoyed such a vertiginous rise to prominence over the last 40 years as New Zealand. Much of that growth is due to the wine most readily associated with the country, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, which went from a standing start in the 1980s to become one of the world’s most popular styles.

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New Zealand: Artisans of aromatic whites & fragrant reds

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc remains hugely popular today, with the wealth of zesty, zippy, gooseberry-lemongrass-and-passionfruit renderings joined by more varied bottlings lent added interest via oak ageing or wild yeast ferments. Just as noteworthy, however, is the increasing quality and subtlety of Marlborough’s Chardonnay, from the likes of Dog Point and Greywacke, and that made on the North Island, via the fabulously complex wines of Kumeu River. Among the country’s red wines, Pinot Noir is the standout, most notably via lush, layered renderings from the southerly Central Otago, but also in Marlborough and Martinborough further north. All in all, New Zealand’s largely cool climate, coupled with increased winemaking know-how, makes it a haven for a range of lifted, vibrant wines that tally with today’s fashion for freshness over power.

New Zealand wine regions

Marlborough

Over the last 40 years, Marlborough has become famous the world over for a particular style of wine. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc went from a standing start to become one of the world’s most popular wine styles, largely via a wealth of zesty, zippy renderings that were remarkably consistent in their gooseberry, lemongrass and passionfruit character. Today, while the popularity of that style shows no sign of slowing down, producers are also branching out to more nuanced and varied renderings of ‘Savvy B’, sometimes lent added texture and weight via oak ageing or wild yeasts. Meanwhile, Marlborough as a whole has shown that it is far from a one-trick pony, with its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay also building a fine reputation.

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Central Otago

Marlborough is at the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island which, being cooler than its counterpart, is best known for grape varieties that excel in cooler climates. Towards the far south of the island, Central Otago has become a haven for lush, layered Pinot Noir. Here, producers such as Felton Road and Mount Difficulty are making wines of profound depth and complexity that rival Pinots found anywhere in the world.

Martinborough

Just across the water from Marlborough, at the southern end of the north island, Martinborough is a relatively small region that punches well above its weight thanks to a quality-driven focus driven by boutique producers. Refined Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are its calling cards.

Hawke’s Bay

Hawke’s Bay, also on the North Island, is the country’s second largest wine region, and benefits from a warmer climate, leading to a focus on red varieties. It is arguably best known for Syrah, notably from the famed Gimblett Gravels terroir, while it also excels in Bordeaux varieties. Both styles tend to harness ripeness and structure with a certain silky elegant, balancing Northern Hemisphere finesse with Southern Hemisphere intensity.

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Show in Bond Pricing Buying in bond means the wine is stored in a bonded warehouse and no duty or VAT has been paid—ideal for storage or resale. <br>Duty paid means taxes are included and the wine is ready for home delivery and drinking.

2021 'Masters Vineyard' Pinot Noir, Ata Rangi, Martinborough

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2024 Pinot Noir, Bannockburn, Felton Road, Central Otago

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2022 Village Pinot Gris, Kumeu River, Kumeu

2019 Cuvée Forte Sauvignon Blanc, Eaton Family Wines, Awatare - Flaxbourne

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New Zealand wine FAQs

Is New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc still a thing?

Very much so. Indeed it’s hard to overstate the consistent popularity of the wine in recent times, and it’s a trend that shows no sign of stopping. But while the mass-produced supermarket bottlings – largely from Marlborough – can sometimes be rather one-dimensional in their profile, more layered, nuanced renderings from quality-focused wineries such as Greywacke and Dog Point are a completely different animal. Look also for ‘Savvy B’ from other regions, such as Hawke’s Bay, where Te Mata makes a rich, barrel-fermented version that has more in common with Bordeaux than Marlborough.

Are New Zealand’s red wines worth trying?

Absolutely. Because while most people equate New Zealand wine with Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc only, in recent years, the country’s red wines have risen if not to equal prominence, certainly to equal critical acclaim. And for New Zealand red wine, read Pinot Noir, a variety that excels in the country’s cool climate, from Marlborough to Martinborough, Canterbury to Central Otago. The latter has really made a name for itself with the variety, via some supremely elegant but textured renderings. Meanwhile, Syrah is the next big thing, with an increasing number of fine examples coming out of the country, particularly from the warmer Hawke’s Bay on the North Island.

New Zealand wine producers

Most of New Zealand’s most acclaimed producers have been founded in the last 50 years, since the boom spawned by the growth of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in the 1980s. Cloudy Bay, established in 1985, was among the original pioneers from this era, its success ** the likes of filmmaker Michael Seresin to found his eponymous Marlborough winery in the early ‘90s. Some notable arrivals such as Dog Point and Greywacke have only come onto the scene in the last 25 years, both founded by former Cloudy Bay winemakers who brought huge know-how, contacts and expertise to bear. It's a similar story elsewhere, with Pinot Noir specialist Ata Rangi, founded in 1980, charting a path for the likes of Escarpment and Kusuda to follow in Martinborough; the similarly agenda-setting Felton Road, founded in 1991, did much the same in Central Otago, where the likes of Burn Cottage and Mount Difficulty have followed in its footsteps to make wines of profound depth and complexity. It is on the North Island, meanwhile, that we find some of the country’s most historic names – the Brajkovich family of Kumeu River in Auckland is well into its third generation, while Te Mata, in Hawke’s Bay, can trace its lineage back to the 1890s.