New Zealand is now firmly fixed in the hearts and minds of wine drinkers the world over, such is the quality of the produce, but it wasn’t always like that.
The South Island of New Zealand is, without doubt, one of the planet’s most impressive wine-producing regions and, to an extent, one of the world’s most underrated. The fact that New Zealand produces wine at all, is a testament to the early producers.
And the fact that it’s a wine-producing heavyweight is nothing short of a fairytale story.
Quite simply, New Zealand really doesn’t do bad wines. Its geographical position, climate and rich soils combined to create the perfect storm for quality but the first producers had to work incredibly hard to get the ball rolling.
Some of the first settlers in the 1800s made tentative forays into the world of wine production but it was on a small scale, with limited resources and battling difficult conditions.
By the 1960s, New Zealand was changing. A dramatic change in agricultural practices and demands meant that there were far more pasture lands going unused. Vineyards were an obvious diversification and, from that time on, New Zealand’s wine love affair began in earnest.
New Zealand wines are now at the pinnacle of New World wines and we at Lockett Bros actually owe a lot to the country in developing our love of vino.
In fact, it was in that great land that we first developed our passion for quality wine more than a decade ago. Without New Zealand, there might not have been a Lockett Bros, perish the thought!
So what is it that makes New Zealand wine so damn good? In the great timeline of wine history, it’s not much more than a tiny blip. We have to remember that New Zealand is one of the youngest nations on the planet yet, over a relatively short space of time, they developed a canny knack of producing world-class wines, with Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc regarded by many as the finest in the world.
The climate plays a big part. New Zealand has what you could call a maritime climate and none of its vineyards are more than 80 miles from the sea. That’s not something that many wine-producing countries can say.
The climate therefore lends itself to slow-growing conditions. Sea breezes make for cool nights but the days are warm and sunny in the summer. New Zealand growers are innovative and hardy too.
The first settlers in that southern spit of land had to do it pretty tough in the beginning and that ‘Number 8 Wire’ spirit has been passed down through the generations.
New Zealand actually boasts the world’s most southerly wine-producing region (47°). There are few growers that would have had the audacity to try growing grapes in such challenging conditions, but New Zealand did it… and excelled at it!
The long ripening period for its vines allows flavour development whilst retaining fresh acidity, a balance for which New Zealand wines are renowned.
There are 11 accepted wine regions over New Zealand’s two islands. The South Island’s Marlborough and Nelson regions are widely known and revered but the North Island produces notable wines with the Hawke’s Bay – home to New Zealand’s oldest vineyard – being a particular standout.
Three New Zealand wines you must try
Classic expression of the dry, gooseberry, grass and passion fruit style of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
Ma Maison Martinborough Pinot Noir
Rich, full bodied and multi-layered.
Walnut Block ‘The Collectables’ Sauvignon Blanc
The ‘Collectables’ wines were created to pay homage to the iconic walnut tree which stands among the vines at Walnut Block and to bring something of New Zealand’s rich history to wine lovers.
