New Zealand Wine

New Zealand has a comparatively Short wine making history but nevertheless in a few short generations has come to produce hugely popular and well respected wines. New Zealand Sauvignon blanc is now regarded by many experts as being amongst the world's best.

 

Historically the drink culture in New Zealand was based chiefly around beer. Colonialisation by brits and europeans however brought  the expertise and knowledge necessary make wine but for some time this was mainly consumed by the colonials themselves with the locals preferring beers and port. 

 

It wasn't until the late 1960's when various legislations and trade restrictions with the UK led to a dramatic down turn in the imports of wines and spirits to New Zealand. The huge increase in overeas travel by New Zealanders at this time also created a massive cultural change with the demand for the wine experience of Europe becoming of huge interest.  It was then – almost out of necessity that some experimental planting of grape began on the island. 

 

As it transpired over time, the soil and climate in many parts of NZ provides the perfect conditions for the growing of several varieties. After some experimentation and initial over growing, it was found that the Sauvignon grape in particular could produce some remarkable wines on NZ soil. 

 

In the 1970's one aspect of production that set New Zealand Wines apart was that stainless steel, which was used to a vast extent agriculturally was adopted for wine production from the outset. Whilst this is pretty much the norm nowadays, back then it was not. The resulting purity of flavour seems to have been a major factor in the superb quality  noted in early exports of NZ wine. 

 

Wine lovers these days are fully aquainted with the quality of New Zealand wines and in particular Sauvignon blanc. We are used to seeing names like Oyster Bay, Nobilio  and Marlborough estates wines on the shelves of high street wineries but it is surprising how recently this has happened within the context of wine production's long history in Europe.

 

We can in part thanks the New Zealander's thirst for travel for this as there is definitely a drive to see more of the world stemming from the country's remoteness. Travellers returning from France, Spain and Italy for example would have brought home wines produced for centuries in those countries and created a demand for variety that formerly was not present on their native island.  

 

As with most wines the place to buy New Zealand wines is the internet in my humble opinion.  With these wines being so well thought of and in vogue, many online merchants are going out of their way to stock the best and most interesting examples. Buying wine online can also be very cost effective.