After a whistlestop tour of 22 wineries in 12 days, Mary Dowey finds there's more - much more - to New Zealand wine than Cloudy Bay
For a long time, I thought of New Zealand as my last frontier. It was the only major wine-producing country I hadn't visited - a small but dynamic player whose exports to Ireland have shot up as we've fallen seriously in love with its aromatic Sauvignon Blanc.
Well, now I've been there - on a fascinating, action-packed trip, flying in small planes between five different regions to visit 22 wineries in 12 days and sample the wares of scores more. The first thing that struck me is just how quickly New Zealand has developed a sophisticated wine industry. It's only 30 years since vines were first planted in commercial quantities in Marlborough, the area that is best known. In that short time, smart wineries have sprung up all over the place, producing wines with a reputation for consistent quality which plenty of other countries envy.
They are all over the place - that was the second revelation. Ever since Cloudy Bay put Marlborough on the map, it has been difficult to think beyond this region at the north-eastern tip of the South Island. Not without reason: many of New Zealand's 448 producers have a foothold here, cashing in on the world craving for lime-and-gooseberryish Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. But other areas have other strengths, so it's time we looked more closely at labels to check out the diverse offerings from regions such as Hawke's Bay, Martinborough and Central Otago.
Other discoveries? Just how good New Zealand Riesling is, with countless cracking examples that haven't yet made their way over here. How good New Zealand sparkling wines are, too, with brands such as Pelorus from Cloudy Bay and Deutz Marlborough Cuvée throwing down a gauntlet that others are picking up.
On a more cautious note, I think New Zealand prices tend to be on the high side, compared to those charged for wines of comparable quality from elsewhere. Most producers acknowledge this. The 2004 harvest has been big and bountiful, after a scant vintage in 2003 - so there will soon be much more wine to sell. Extensive new plantings coming on stream suggest that volume will continue to grow. Will New Zealand sustain those prices? Maybe not - but don't wait and see. You'd miss too much in the meantime.
Here follows our guide to the country's regions and styles.
MARLBOROUGH
It's vast - a monoculture of vines stretching across the flat valley floor from the parched Wither Hills on one side to the misty Richmond Ranges on the other. Ever since Montana arrived in 1973, closely followed by other wineries, peach and cherry orchards and sheep have given way to vineyards - massive blocks of them, distinguished by signboards sporting all the top names in New Zealand wine. Only Blenheim, Marlborough's main town, sleepy and 1960-ish, seems to have been left behind in the rush.
Close to the opaque waters of Cloudy Bay, with temperate days and cool nights, Marlborough has precisely the climate needed to produce zesty Sauvignon Blanc and juicy Pinot Noir, its two star turns. "You know, when Marlborough first made a name for Sauvignon Blanc, people used to fly in here to see it," muses Jane Hunter of Hunter's, one of the region's first wineries. It sounds like a century ago - yet the first vintage of Cloudy Bay, the iconic Marlborough Sauvignon, was 1985. Continued overleaf
Star producers: Hunter's, Lawson's Dry Hills, Cloudy Bay, Grove Mill, Nautilus, Framingham. Best value: Wither Hills, Saint Clair, Matua Marlborough, Montana, Villa Maria.
HAWKE'S BAY
On the eastern shore of the North Island, Hawke's Bay is a different kettle of grapes entirely. It's much warmer than Marlborough, with reliable sunshine and balmy nights. A huge variety of soil types, from heavy silts to pure gravel, make it suitable for a wide variety of wines. Most impressive are the rich, ripe reds associated with the famous Gimblett Gravels - not just Merlot-Cabernet blends, but also increasingly fashionable Syrah.
Of the Hawke's Bay ranges available in Ireland, Esk Valley (owned by Villa Maria) is the most impressive, crafted with enthusiasm by Gordon Russell. "I'd be happy to stay in this job for the rest of my life," he grins after 11 years in the job. "I get all the resources I need to make good wine and I don't have to pay the bills."
Star producers: Esk Valley, C J Pask, Vidal, Church Road, Black Barn, Gunn Estate. Best value: Villa Maria Reserve reds.
MARTINBOROUGH
Tucked up in the hills north-east of Wellington at the North Island's southern tip, Martinborough is a folksy little town fringed with stellar producers who have made it a key destination within the larger wine region of Wairarapa.
This is Pinot Noir country - silky but structured Pinot Noir, so stirring that it may make you stop for a second in mid-sip and wonder whether New Zealand's runaway success with Sauvignon Blanc has not been slightly unjust. I loved this little area, as much perhaps for its countrified feel (there are still farms with livestock, still old-fashioned village stores) as for its memorable Pinots.These have been evolving since the 1980s when, inspired by a scientific report comparing Martinborough's soil and climate with Burgundy, Clive Paton of Ata Rangi and three others set up wineries in a breathtaking example of the can-do spirit that is so typical of New Zealanders.
"None of us had ever grown anything before," he recalls. "None of us had ever made wine before. We shared one building, and we read a lot of textbooks. I don't think any of us ever contemplated failure."
Star producers: Palliser Estate, Ata Rangi, Martinborough Vineyards, Schubert, Margrain, Alana Estate.
AUCKLAND AREA
This region can be confusing because some companies have their headquarters here, without having any vineyards within reach. But it was interesting to visit two of the area's stalwarts. Matua Valley makes keenly-priced, reliable wines, and although it is now owned by Beringer Blass, brothers Bill and Ross Spence still imbue it with a family feel. Villa Maria (included in the recent column on 10 reliable big brands) also offers value and consistency across a wide range from its new showcase winery beside the airport.
But there's another side to Auckland - a secret side, almost. Pretty Waiheke Island, a 40-minute ferry ride from the city, has a drier microclimate which has fostered excellent wineries. "I felt that New Zealand should produce some decent red wine," explains Kim Goldwater, who bought 10 acres here in 1978, then had the weather analysed, decided it was close to that of Bordeaux and promptly bought another 10. His elegant, Bordeaux-like blends prove him right.
Star producers: Matua Valley, Villa Maria, Cable Bay Vineyards, Goldwater (both on Waiheke Island).
CENTRAL OTAGO
Often described as New Zealand's newest wine region, Central Otago, way down the South Island close to the Southern Alps, is actually one of the oldest. "A Frenchman produced medal-winning wines here in the 1860s, but that was largely forgotten," explains Alan Brady, the Irishman who founded Gibbston Valley Wines and, when it grew big, sold it to set up little Mount Edward. "People told me I'd never grow grapes this far south."
They were wrong, luckily. With warm days and the cool nights of altitude, Central Otago produces lush Pinot Noir, finely tuned Chardonnay, delicate Riesling and more. Prices tend to be high as production levels are low, but this is a region to watch for more than lunatic adventure sports and Lord of the Rings scenery.
Star producers: Mount Edward, Felton Road, Quartz Reef, Dry Gully, Rippon.
PINOT GRIS - THE LATEST FAD
New Zealand's infatuation with this grape is baffling. Producers say they are aiming towards the mouthfilling Alsace style, rather than the crispness of Italian Pinot Grigio - but many of the wines I sampled were flat and rather sickly, with none of the acidity that cuts the richness of Alsace Pinot Gris. It's early days, of course. Best to wait and see.
SCREWCAPS - NO TURNING BACK
It is intriguing to see how firmly committed New Zealand is to screwcaps. Among the producers I visited, wines sealed with a cork seemed almost the exception - and the metal-top movement is still gathering momentum, with many red wines now being bottled under screwcap as well as the whites whose freshness it demonstrably helps to preserve. For more details visit www.screwcap.co.nz. More information - www.nzwine.com