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New Zealand Wine

ANZ Wine™, New Zealand Winegrowers, New Zealand Winemakers and Grape Growers welcome you to the exciting world of New Zealand Wine…..the Pure Discovery ! Enjoy !

New Zealand Wines are sourced from award winning vineyards from selected wine regions in New Zealand. Processed at world class wineries, renowned over the years for manufacturing premium quality wines and maintaining stringent quality standards in addition to New Zealand Grape Wine Export Eligibility Requirements, our range of international award winning wines include New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah/Shiraz, Pinot Noir wines and New Zealand Rose wines.

New Zealand Wine – Pure Discovery  
New Zealand is a land like no other. New Zealand wine is an experience like no other. Our special combination of soil, climate and water, our innovative pioneering spirit and our commitment to quality all come together to deliver pure, intense and diverse experiences. In every glass of New Zealand Wine is a world of pure discovery.

International acclaim
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is rated internationally as the definitive benchmark style for this varietal. The growing recognition for New Zealand Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Syrah, Merlot / Cabernet Sauvignon and sparkling wines is positioning New Zealand's as a world class producer of fine wines.

“Talking of Burgundy, I reckon New Zealand is beginning to challenge for the number one spot.” – Tim Atkin, Off Licence News, UK

Key Facts and Figures
  • New Zealand wine is largely produced in 10 major wine growing regions spanning latitudes 36° to 45° South and extending 1,600 km (1,000 miles). They are, from north to south Northland, Auckland, Waikato/Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury and Central Otago.
  • Small : 650+ wineries, 30,000+ hectares of producing vineyards, 205 million litres wine produced (2008)
  • Quality Focused: highest average price of any wine imported into UK.
  • New Zealand cleans up in 2009 Tri Nations Wine Challenge, named the top country overall winning eight trophies, 11 double gold medals and 10 gold medals in the competition among the best wines from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.
  • Wine Exports exceed $1.01 billion in 2009
  • Export Sales up 615% in last decade, volume has risen 402%.
  • New Zealand Wine exports have grown at a rate of 24% each year for the past 20 years, four times the growth rate for all goods exports.
Main Regions % of Planting
  • Marlborough 53%
  • Hawkes Bay 19%
  • Gisborne 9%
  • Central Otago 6%
  • Other Regions 13%

 

Key Varieties
  • Sauvignon Blanc 42%
  • Pinot Noir 18%
  • Chardonnay 16%
  • Merlot 6%
  • Pinot Gris 5%
  • Riesling 4%
  • Other 9%

Wine Export Certification For a New Zealand grape wine to be eligible for export, it must meet the requirements of the New Zealand Wine Act 2003, which include that it be free from obvious fault and that it must have come from a winery that has a fully traceable record keeping system that has been audited. The processes that allow an exporter to meet these requirements are administered by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority, and carried out under contract by the Wine Export Certification Service.

The Wine Act 2003 (the Act) sets New Zealand’s legal framework for the making and export of wine. One of the objectives of the Act is to safeguard the reputation of New Zealand wine in overseas markets. The Act requires that wine exported from New Zealand must either be the subject of export eligibility requirements or, in the case of wine to which such requirements do not apply, the exporter must be registered under the Act. The export eligibility requirements for New Zealand grape wine are found in the Wine (New Zealand Grape Wine Export Eligibility Requirements) Notice 2006 (the Export Eligibility Notice).

 New Zealand Wine Styles In New Zealand, like elsewhere in the New World, we name wines for the variety they’re made from. What is different is the kind of grape varieties that flourish here in New Zealand and the flavours they develop.

Sauvignon Blanc – explore the sensation !
“Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has become arguably the world’s only great new wine style this century.” – Huon Hooke, The Age (Australia)
  • Background : 1st planting Auckland 1970s. Today 10,491 hectares (25,923 acres)
  • Regional Focus : Marlborough dominates with 87% of production, followed by 6% in Hawkes Bay and 3% in Nelson.
  • Typical Styles : Marlborough and South Island – pungent capsicum, gooseberry, herbal flavours.
  • North Island – riper melon and other stone fruit flavours. Food Matches : seafood – oysters, smoked salmon / trout, shellfish. Salads without too much vinegar. Green herb-flavoured foods. 
Chardonnay
“Chardonnays from New Zealand are akin to the best from California or Australia, but in terms of structure and acidity, they recall the great Chardonnays of Burgundy. In their totality they are like nothing else from any place and yet they offer something to everyone.” - Michael Franz, Washington Post
  • Background : early plantings in 1830s. Main introduction in 1970s. Today 3,918 hectares (9,681 acres)
  • Regional Focus : Hawkes Bay (30%), Gisborne (30%), Marlborough (27%)
  • Typical Styles : North Island – soft, lush, ripe peach and melon. South Island – zesty, grapefruit / citrus flavours.
  • Food Matches : fish and lighter meats –  poached salmon, roast chicken, veal or rabbit with cream/cheese/lemon flavoured sauces
Aromatic Varieties
“Other New Zealand wines are impressive, to be sure. Its Rieslings are showstoppers, made mostly in a dry style that favours the varietal pristine lime juice/lime zest aromas and flavours and is often enhanced by appealing minerality. Pinot Gris shows much promise, as does Gewurztraminer.” - Steve Pitcher, The Wine News, USA
  • Background  :
    • Riesling – 868 hectares (2,144 acres)
    • Pinot Gris – 1,146 hectares (2,831 acres)
    • Gewurztraminer – 293 hectares (724acres)
  • Regional focus   :
    • Riesling – Marlborough 45%, Canterbury/Waipara 27%, Central Otago 7%
    • Pinot Gris – Marlborough 37%, Hawkes Bay 21%, Central Otago 10%
    • Gewurztraminer – Gisborne 33%, Marlborough 26%, Hawkes Bay 20%

  • Typical styles    : 
    • Riesling – steely dry to lush and sweet
    • Pinot Gris – rich, flinty, fruit – laden
    • Gewurztraminer – pungent scents and spicy flavours

  • Food Matches   : 
    • Riesling – salads, seafood and chicken, mild Asian dishes 
    • Pinot Gris – pastas, calamari, scallops, poached fish, shellfish 
    • Gewurztraminer – mild curries and chillies, spicy Asian
Sparkling Wine
  • Background : with the temperate climate and the planting of classical Champagne varieties, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, Method Traditionelle wines from New Zealand have achieved great success since their first commercial release in 1970.
  • Regional Focus : Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines for sparkling wine production are grown in regions – Marlborough, Gisborne and Hawkes Bay
  • Typical Styles : Gisborne and Hawkes Bay style typically has more weight and richness
  • Food Matches : salty and deep fried foods, lightly spiced Asian dishes, seafood, strawberries
Pinot Noir
“If you’ve got less than £25 (US$50) to spend on a single bottle, I’d choose New Zealand over France for Consistency, depth of flavour and increasingly, complexity. Worryingly for Burgundy, Kiwi Pinots will only get better.” – Tim Atkin, Off Licence News, UK

“New Zealand Pinot Noir : Simply a revelation
If you’ve been burned by the inconsistency of Burgundies, found Oregon Pinots overpriced and California versions overly lush, try these and sidestep all of those pitfalls. They’re well-balanced, pure, deeply colored, velvety and remarkably consistent as a category.” – Jerry Shriver, USA Today
  • Background       : well known in North Island vineyards in 1890s and early 20th century. Today 4,740 hectares
  • Regional Focus : Marlborough (42%), Central Otago (25%) and Wairarapa (10%)
  • Typical Styles    : Marlborough – vibrant, cherry and plum flavours. Central Otago – strong, blackberry flavours. Wellington – ripe, plum flavours.
  • Food Matches   : lighter styles with salmon, quail, turkey and veal. Fuller styles with lamb, duck, venison, roast chicken.
Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
“The richness and utter ‘redness’ of these wines (New Zealand Cabernet Merlot blends) would be shocking to all those Americans who pigeonhole New Zealand as home of ‘cool climate wines’ .” - Mary Ewing-Mulligan, MW (USA)
  • Background       : Cabernet Sauvignon initial plantings 1830s. Merlot in 1980s. Today Cabernet Sauvignon 524 hectares (1,294 acres), Merlot 1,447 hectares (3,445 acres)  
  • Regional Focus : Hawkes Bay dominates with 74% Cabernet Sauvignon  and 76% Merlot. Strong focus also in Auckland with 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Merlot
  • Typical Styles    : strong varietal character, clean ripe fruit with depth, complexity and structure. 
  • Food Matches   : Cabernet Sauvignon/ Cabernet Sauvignon dominated blends – red meats, winter casseroles, venison, game, strong – flavoured cheeses, and pizzas. Merlot/Merlot dominated blends - lamb, venison, wild pork, liver, veal, game. Sauces with black olives/herbs
Syrah / Shiraz
  • Background : one of the earliest grapes in NZ. Today 256 hectares (635 acres)  
  • Regional Focus : Hawkes Bay (68%), Auckland (18%)
  • Typical Styles : aromatic, finely structured wines with balance, elegance and supple texture.
  • Food Matches : strong – flavoured food such as beef, peppered steak, casseroles and roast game.