Prior to arriving in New Zealand Tina and I had a narrow understanding of New Zealand wines. We were familiar with some Sauvignon Blancs from the Marlborough Region but that was the extent of it.
After spending 4 months in the country we had plenty of opportunities to explore additional varietals from various regions. What we learned is that in addition to the “Sauvie-B’s” that the country is well-known for NZ has multiple wine regions which are gaining prominence on the international wine scene.
Especially when you factor in the exchange rate we felt like NZ wines were a GREAT VALUE. Here is a list of the best wines we tasted along with the price we paid for them in NZ$. To convert these amounts into US$ click this link.
Contact your local wine shop to see if you can get your hands on these.
Sauvie-B:
* Boundary Vineyards-“Rapura Rd.”- 2008- $20
* Koura Bay
* Church Road
* Rippon- 2008-
* Ata Rangi- 2008- $25
* Triplebank- 2008- $20
* Anchorage
Chardonay:
*Black Barn- unoaked- 2007
Gewurztraminer:
*Brookfields- 2007- $24
*Trinity Hill
Viognier:
*Trinity Hill- 2006- $30
Arneis (ancient Italian wine grape):
*Trinty Hill- 2008- $20
Pinot Noir:
*Drumsara- 2007- $50
*Seresin- “Leah”-2007-$28
* Tirohana-“Leslie”-2008- $50
* Pegasus-
* Akarua- 2006
* Mt. Difficulty- 2007- $45
*Ata Rangi- 2007- $65
Blends:
*Pegasus- “Maestro”- $50
*Herzog- Beardeaux blend-2001- $47
*Benfield & Delemare- 2006- $75
*Ata Rangi- “Celebre”- $32
Syrah:
*Craggy Range-2004-2006- $50
Merlot:
*Unison Vineyards- “Reserve”- 2007- $30
Tempranillo:
*Trinity Hill-2007- $29
P.S. In talking with the winemaker at Unison Vineyards he advised that the 2009 harvest was poised to be a great one for the Gimblets Gravel region in Hawke’s Bay. This area is known for it’s heavier red wines such as Syrah, Merlot, and Cab-Sav. Keep your eyes open in the future for good 2009 wines from this area.