The Wine CEO Podcast Episode #35: Beginner's Guide to New Zealand, Part 2

This week on The Wine CEO Podcast we are finishing our 2 part Beginner's Guide on New Zealand by chatting about the South Island Wine regions, food pairings, and more!

Check out my blog post on the wineceo.com HERE to read more about New Zealand and to see a map of the top wine producing regions.

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In the South Island, the main regions of note are Marlborough, Caterbury, Waipara, and Central Otago.

Marlborough is known almost exclusively for Sauvignon Blanc. It produces 70% of New Zealand wine and over 85% of the country's Sauvignon Blanc. It's also fitting that we discuss Marlborough first because it was actually the first area on the South Island where grape vines were planted. The region is made up of multiple valleys and each imparts specific flavor profiles to the grapes. (For example, some areas offer more irrigation while others have unique soil blends.) Often winemakers in Marlborough will harvest Sauvignon Blanc grapes from multiple valleys and blend them to find a balanced flavor. Marlborough does have some Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Pinot Gris; but, it's mostly known for Sauvignon Blanc. Many producers here age their wine in stainless steel tanks while some age on old French oak barrels that impart little flavor to the wine. Basically, there's little to no oak influence so these wines taste clean, crisp, and refreshing.

Up next are the regions of Caterbury and Waipara. I combined these two because they are fairly small producing regions located on the central eastern coast of the South Island. They're also both located right next to the large city of Christchurch. These areas are known predominantly for Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc, but there is some Riesling and Pinot Gris grown here as well.

Last but not least is Central Otago, which is in the south east region of the South Island. This area is known for Pinot Noir and is definitely the second most well known region in the South Island, next to Marlborough. There is a small amount of Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Riesling grown here - but Pinot Noir is definitely the main attraction. The reason for this is the unique red colored soil made of clay, lime, and gravel; which imparts unique minerality to the grapes. Additionally the climate in Central Otago is rather dry and sunny, helping the Pinot Noir grapes to develop nice fresh fruit flavors.

Typically New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs are stylistically known for having notes of grapefruit, passionfruit, ripe pear, tropical fruits, kiwi, and herbal notes that a lot of folks equate to fresh cut grass and herbs. The Pinot Noirs can range in flavor across the North and South Islands, but they tend to have notes of cherry, cranberry, mushroom, raspberry and spices or vanilla.

Food Pairings:

With these unique flavor profiles, you have a lot of great options to pair New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noirs with food. NZ is surrounded by ocean, so there's a lot of seafood in their cuisine. New Zealand Sauvignon blancs go really nicely with oysters, shrimp, light white fish, and almost anything that is light and needs acid. Because of the herbal flavors, they also pair nicely with heavily herbed light dishes. So for example, think about a shrimp pasta with lemon and fresh parsley - this would be great with New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Additionally, New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs pair nicely with salads because of the herbal and vegetal flavors. One thing that a lot of folks don't expect is that New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs actually go really well with asian foods. The tropical fruit and lime notes are delicious with South Pacific island cuisine. (And if you aren't familiar with Fiji and the Polynesian islands, think about fish with soy sauce or lime and coconut milk as this is classic cuisine to the region).

New Zealand Pinot Noirs pair nicely with lamb because of the earthier and spicier notes. But, because they are also light, fruity, and acidic, they also pair well with duck and chicken. My personal favorite though is salmon. New Zealand Pinot Noir is light enough to not overpower salmon making for a delicious combination.

Fun Fact:

One of the things that New Zealand is known for is utilizing the Stelvin Closure or Screw Cap in almost all of their wines. You would be hard pressed to find a wine with a cork in it in this country and culturally it's more odd to see a wine with a screw cap than a cork throughout the islands. This may seem counterintuitive, but if you remember listening to The Wine CEO Podcast Episode #18, then you know that screw caps are becoming more and more popular around the world because they are actually a safer way to seal bottles than natural corks. Screw caps have been widely accepted in New Zealand for this reason for years and it's truly just a common practice in the winemaking culture and for all of the New Zealand wine consumers to expect screw caps.

Wines to try:

Sauvignon Blancs:

• Cloudy Bay was the first New Zealand winery to put Sauvignon Blanc on the global map. It's a bit of a legend!
• Brancott also makes delicious Sauvignon Blanc in Marlborough.
• Kim Crawford is a classic label that always has consistent and great quality Sauvignon Blanc.
• Palliser Estate also has some delicious Sauvignon Blanc.

Pinot Noirs:

• Ata Rangi is a top producer with delicious Pinots.
• Oyster bay is really affordable, but good quality and consistent.
• Dog Point is a delicious Pinot Noir maker from Marlborough.

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