travel trends: new zealand vineyards

Hey wine-lovers! This is a story for you! I realised I haven’t written anything about wine in New Zealand and holy crap that’s shocking because I have tried probably most wines from this incredible country. Alright, maybe not quite… but I’ve tried wine from every region and its all bloody good. In this post, I break each region down with what wine its known for and some of the well-known New Zealand vineyards… and some lesser known ones.

Pour yourself a nice glass of wine and settle in…

There are five big wine regions, from Waiheke Island outside of Auckland all the way to Central Otago in the south. They’re known for different varietals of wine, although most regions produce a little bit of everything. I thought it would be fun to share my experiences with New Zealand wines, and I’ll start in the south and head north…

Central Otago

This rocky region in the middle of the South Island is known for its Pinot Noir. Rich, mellow, bold, soft…. the schist rock produces incredibly fertile soil with intense rainfall that combine to produce sensational Pinots. Other grapes that grow well here? Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Gewurztraminer.

There are a lot of tours that run from Queenstown and Wanaka. If you’re keen to do some tasting on your own, head for Gibbston Valley, a mere twenty minutes from QT. The same-named winery (and cheesery) is on the main highway, as are Amisfield, Peregrine, and Brennan (just off, but there’s a sign). In the Karawau Gorge, stop at Chard Farm. At Cromwell and Bannockburn, don’t miss the Mount Difficulty winery, known for producing a phenomenal Target Gully Riesling and the ever-popular Roaring Meg Pinot Noir, and Wooing Tree, on the Wanaka road.

Marlborough and Blenheim

Anyone who has tasted a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has very likely had a Marlborough Sav. This region and this wine put NZ wine on the map. It’s the region that exports the most wines from NZ and its no wonder: the region consistently produces that signature grapefruit-y, citrus-y, tart Sauvignon Blanc.

These wines pair best with the local seafood, so don’t miss out on pairing freshly caught scallops, oysters, or lobster with a local Sav. Some of the big names to come out of Marlborough are St. Clair Estate, Yealands, and Oyster Bay. (And yes, the region also produces phenomenal hops for brewing beer.)

Martinborough and the Wairarapa

Did you know there’s a large wine-growing region in the lower North Island? I didn’t, until I moved here and learned all about it (by going on a wine and bicycle tour, duh.) Martinborough is essentially bordered by the Rimutaka mountain range on the inland side and the sea on the other. I say essentially because there is a bit more to it than that. Its only an hour from Wellington and it attract all sorts – Welly locals out for a day, tourists passing through, honeymooners, etc. The climate has the added benefit of not being *right in* Wellington so therefore its sheltered from the intense winds off the Cook Strait. Martinborough is also almost on the same latitude as Marlborough and you’ll find that that soil and weather are very similar. It should come as no surprise then, that Martinborough also consistently produces exceptional Sauvignon Blancs. They’re less grapefruit-y than the Marlborough ones, almost more pear and lemon (but now we are just getting into details). Martinborough vineyards also produce wonderful Chardonnays, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Gris.

One of my favourite vineyards in the area is Muirlea Rise, with Te Kairanga, Vynfields, and Ata Rangi being close seconds. One of my favourite wines is the mystery red produced by several winemakers in the region  – what is it? They’ll never tell.

Hawkes Bay/Napier

Just up the coast from Martinborough is Hawkes Bay. This bite-shaped bay is home to the best Chardonnay, red blends, and Syrah grapes in NZ. Syrah from this region is bold and tannic while the Chards are . Some of the big name wineries in Hawkes Bay include Mission Estate, Esk Valley, and Ngatarawa.

Waiheke (and Auckland region)

An easy ferry ride from Auckland takes you to lush Waiheke, where vineyards grow gracefully on the slopes of the volcanic island. The majority of wines that grow here are red varietals, predominantly Merlot and Syrah. In the past few years, the planting of white wines have increased on Waiheke, with Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Sauvignon Blanc being the most common. Head for Obsidian for dark, rich reds like Tempranillo, Malbec, and Syrah.

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