New Zealand Wine: The Basics
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By now, there is not a wine drinker in the US who hasn’t had a wine from New Zealand and if I were a betting man I would say it was a Sauvignon Blanc. Am I right? New Zealand has set a world standard for Sauvignon Blanc or at least they have set a globally recognized style.
While New Zealand has been producing wines for more than 150 years, it was not until the 1970s that the nation began to make wines that would be recognizable today. Clearly, the aforementioned Sauvignon Blanc is the leader both in respect to recognition and production. Since NZ Sauvignon Blanc caught the eye of European, British, and American critics in the 1990s, the variety has been on a path of rapid ascension. Today, acres of Sauvignon Blanc out number the second most prolific variety, Chardonnay, by more than 2 to 1.
While the New Zealand wine industry has spent much of its time catching up to the international standard over the previous decades, it has managed to become a trendsetter in its abundant use of screw-top closures. Kiwis were quick to adopt this method of preserving wine in the bottle in the midst of rising cork prices and the growing concerns of cork tainted wines.
The sky is the limit for this unique nation and their equally unique wine industry.
By now, there is not a wine drinker in the US who hasn’t had a wine from New Zealand and if I were a betting man I would say it was a Sauvignon Blanc. Am I right? New Zealand has set a world standard for Sauvignon Blanc or at least they have set a globally recognized style.While New Zealand has been producing wines for more than 150 years, it was not until the 1970s that the nation began to make wines that would be recognizable today. Clearly, the aforementioned Sauvignon Blanc is the leader both in respect to recognition and production. Since NZ Sauvignon Blanc caught the eye of European, British, and American critics in the 1990s, the variety has been on a path of rapid ascension. Today, acres of Sauvignon Blanc out number the second most prolific variety, Chardonnay, by more than 2 to 1.
While the New Zealand wine industry has spent much of its time catching up to the international standard over the previous decades, it has managed to become a trendsetter in its abundant use of screw-top closures. Kiwis were quick to adopt this method of preserving wine in the bottle in the midst of rising cork prices and the growing concerns of cork tainted wines.
The sky is the limit for this unique nation and their equally unique wine industry.