NZ wines: Beyond Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc: It's unarguably the wine that has propelled forward the reputation of New Zealand wine on a global scale, taking the exports of Kiwi vino from 19 to 120 million litres in just the past 10 years alone (with plantings of Sauvignon Blanc tripling over that period).

But beyond Sauv Blanc (and to a slightly lesser extent Pinot Noir), there is unquestionably much more to NZ wine, even though it might not always seem that way.

So what are the other wines that Kiwi winemakers finding success with (and where)?

To answer that, the best place to start is Marlborough itself. Marlborough has always been about Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir (and Chardonnay), yet more recently another variety has found favour in the region.

I'm talking about Pinot Gris, perhaps not all that 'alternate' a variety but one that is proving to be a promising one for the region, as noted by English wine writer Anthony Rose in The Independent "The Alsace variety that is often innocuous in France can produce wines in New Zealand's climate of spicy fruitiness."

In Marlborough, the planting of Pinot Gris has skyrocketed on the back of this early success, with the amount of Pinot Gris up 22% in 2008/2009 alone, with it now considered to be the variety to sit alongside Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc in the Marlborough heirachy. Beyond just Marlborough, Pinot Gris has found favour elsewhere in New Zealand too, with plantings increasing in Otago and Nelson too.

The main appeal of Pinot Gris is simply about texture and intensity, with the variety offering Chardonnay like richness, yet with the acidity and juicy musky aromas of more floral and aromatic whites such as Riesling.

Some of the top producers of Pinot Gris in New Zealand include Dry River in Martinborough (whom have produced a Pinot Gris for longer than most, although it is almost impossible to source), Villa Maria (their single vineyard Marlborough range in particular), Neudorf (from Nelson), Prophet's Rock (in Otago) and Blackenbrook (from Nelson).

Buy New Zealand Pinot Gris

Beyond Pinot Gris another variety that is striding ahead in the popularity stage is Syrah (or Shiraz in Australian terminology. We're the only ones who call it that you know).

Much like Shiraz in Australia, Syrah will grow just about anywhere, particularly given that - as a mid season ripener - it's viable even in quite cool climates, which has meant that it has been planted all over New Zealand. The hotspots for fine Syrah however are unquestionably centred around two locations: Hawkes Bay and Waiheke Island.

Of these it is Hawkes Bay that is streets ahead in the reputation and popularity stakes, driven by the prominent success of Gimblett Gravels (a small sub region of Hawkes Bay) Syrah in particular, with Waiheke Island only really constrained by how little available land there is for grapegrowing.

What makes New Zealand Syrah unique/special/worthy though is it's medium bodied, peppery savoury style, with the inherently cool climate making for wines that will never be as rich as equivalent Australian styles, but instead are much more of an elegant, quasi-French style (as cliched as the expression is).

Picking the best producers of Syrah in New Zealand is a tricky one, purely due to how many great names there are. From the Gimblett Gravels alone Craggy Range, Trinity Hill, Stonecroft and Villa Maria all produce top wines, and in the larger Hawkes Bay area Bilancia and Te Mata also kick butt.

On Waiheke Island there is a similarly high level of smart producers crafting great Syrah, including Passage Rock, Obsidian, Man of War and Mudbrick, with Kusuda and Dry River from Martinborough also rounding things out.

Buy New Zealand Syrah

Finally the last variety that is gaining traction in New Zealand, though somewhat lagging considering it's international profile, is Riesling, with plantings increasing 15% year-on-year. The driver of this popularity resurgence is largely that the niche has been found, with riper or off-dry, Germanic/Alsace inspired styles proving successful.

The hit regions for this richer/off dry style are towards the southern end of New Zealand, with Marlborough, Waipara, Canterbury, Otago and Martinborough all producing top wines.

As for top producers there are a few worth highlighting, including Framingham, Spy Valley (under their 'Envoy' label), Forrest Estate (sweet wines)in Marlborough, Felton Road (sweeter styles) and Mount Difficulty in Central Otago and Pegasus Bay (particularly for the sweet wines) in Canterbury.

Buy New Zealand Riesling

Andrew Graham
Photo Credits

A quick snapshot of five alternative varieties in Australia

We're talking all things alternative wine at Cracka this week, highlighting a few goodies that sit outside of the normal Shiraz, Chardonnay, Semillon, Pinot Noir etc. varietal square.

Now whilst we literally could write a thesis (or three) on this subject, in this post we thought we'd focus on five of the notable alternative variety successes in Australia at present:

Fiano: Originally from Campania in Southern Italy, Fiano is now picking up popularity in McLaren Vale (in particular) with Oliver's Taranga, Coriole and Fox Gordon making the best examples, along with Rutherglen Estate and Chalmers Vineyard also working with it in Victoria.

What makes Fiano successful is it's lovely waxy texture and high natural acidity, both of which makes for a dry and crisp, yet still quite generous wine. Couple that with the Fiano vines ability to cope with hot summers and drought conditions and you've got a variety tailor made for Australian conditions.

What is Fiano most like? Think Semillon but with a more lemony waxy textural richness. Pears flavours and chalky acidity.

Buy Fiano here

Barbera: Another indigenous Italian variety (there are at least 850 documented wine grape varieties so it's probably of little surprise that we see so many alternates coming from Italy), Barbera's home is in Piedmont, north west Italy, which is a hilly region close to the border between Italy and France.

In it's home region, Barbera was once known as the 'people's grape' as it was so widely drunk, though more recently it has evolved into something more serious and slightly less egalitarian. What makes this variety a winner is that, like Fiano, it maintains it's natural acidity even when ripe and has notably low tannins, making for a red wine that is juicy and refreshingly crisp (and hence immensely quaffable).

In Australia, Barbera is now planted all over the countryside, again showing great promise in warm regions thanks to it's relatively easygoing personality. Margan and David Hook in the Hunter Valley have also produced excellent examples, with some of Australia's oldest Barbera vines at Montrose in Mudgee (though the quality is only just getting back on track after a wobbly period). It has also found some success in the Barossa via Massena with Chalk Hill in McLaren Vale also getting some rave reviews.

What is Barbera most like? Think the juiciness of Merlot but with more cherry flavours and more acidity. Light to medium bodied and very juicy.

Buy Barbera here

Gamay: Better known as the grape of Beaujolais, Gamay has undergone something of a resurgence recently - as Beaujolais has - showing exactly how sexy this light, svelte and juice variety can be, although the scars of the insipid Beaujolais Nouveau phenomenon still lie just below the surface.

Often described as poor man's Pinot Noir, Gamay has shown itself to work well in the cooler regions of Australia in particular. Some of the top Gamay producers in Australia are Eldridge Estate on the Mornington Peninsula and Sorrenberg in Beechworth.

What is Gamay most like? It's very close to Pinot Noir actually, if just a fraction lighter and more pretty. Lots of raspberry, strawberry fruit and a light bodied palate. Elegance and juiciness.

Buy Gamay here

Tempranillo: It's almost odd to call this an alternative variety now such is it's popularity. Tempranillo is currently the fastest planted wine grape in Australia with vines planted from Margaret River to the Barossa to Rutherglen to Canberra to QLD. Why the success you ask? It's a very generous grape, known to produce lovely earthen red wines with rich flavours and firm tannins.

Tempranillo is widely regarded as the national grape of Spain, with plantings all over the nation. It's also widely planted in Portugal too where it is a key ingredient in Ports and full bodied Portugese red blends.

Some of the current successful producers of Tempranillo include Mount Majura in Canberra, Stella Bella and Juniper Estate in Margaret River, Samuel's Gorge in McLaren Vale and Pondalowie in Bendigo.

What is Tempranillo most like? Take the rich earthiness of Shiraz and add some more earthiness. Typically savoury and rich it is normal medium to full bodied and tastes of chocolate and dark berries.

Buy Tempranillo here

Viognier: Much like Tempranillo, Viognier is almost mainstream these days, propelled into the limelight particularly thanks to the fact that it is regularly blended with Shiraz to make Shiraz softier and sexier. Interestingly, Viognier almost died out in the early 1960s (down to just 14ha total plantings) and it was only thanks to some astute growers in the South of France (and even Australia) who picked it up again in the late 80's -early 90's that saved the variety.

The home of Viognier is the Northern Rhone, where it has been historically blended with Shiraz or grown as a stand alone wine in a few very small appellations (such as Condrieu). In Australia it has found a happy home in the Hunter Valley, Eden Valley, Yarra Valley and Canberra in particular.

Some of the top makers of Viognier include Yalumba in the Eden Valley, Clonakilla in Canberra, Castagna in Beechworth and Yarra Yering in the Yarra Valley.

What is Viognier like? Apricotty! Viognier produces rich and full flavoured wines that can be almost Chardonnay like in weight with prominent peach and apricot fruit.

Buy Viognier here

Drinking a bottle of really nice Australian Shiraz the other night got me thinking about the history and stylistic diversity of wines from Down Under.

Thanks to the recent soaring temperatures I've fallen in love with my fridge over the past few weeks. Is there anything as refreshing as an ice-cold drink on a hot day? The condensation on the outside of the glass adds a shiver of anticipation to any well-earned drink, but you can overdo it, especially with wine.

Sémillon is grape that stars in improbable marriages: with sauvignon blanc in classic blends made in France and Australia; and with fungus botrytis cinerea in the Sauternes region of Bordeaux to create world's longest-lived unfortified wines.

FOSTER'S says it has detected early signs of a revival in the fortunes of chardonnay after two years of almost suffocating dominance by New Zealand sauvignon blanc, which threatened to rob the company and the Australian wine industry of drinkers.

Sauvignon Blanc wines are easy to love. There’s little need to worry about aging (drink it young), food pairings mistakes (it can pair with a whole range of foods), or even cork taint (many New World Sauvignon Blanc bottles come with screw caps). But seasoned oenophiles shouldn’t dismiss the Sauvignon Blanc either – a good bottle has lasting appeal for everyone, from beginners to experts.

Chardonnay is probably the most popular of the white wines. Its versatility means that almost anyone can find at least one bottle of Chardonnay that suits one’s preferences.

For years wine drinkers in Australia (and in a lot of other countries) have been in love with Chardonnay, myself included. In fact, the Australian wine industry practically invented the modern Chardy – big, oaky, bold, consistent – and it sort of went without saying that the Australians themselves would be the biggest fans of it.

Australia's winemakers are plotting an assault on New Zealand's lucrative UK export market with a new wine style they describe as a "sauvignon blanc killer".

Riesling from wine list australia is one of those love or hate grape varieties. For some Riesling just brings back bad memories of cheap, sickly sweet plonk from years gone by. On the other hand, for it’s fans, Riesling is a beautifully pure and refreshing white wine full of juicy, youthful fruit and there is no greater white grape on the planet. So which is it?

Wine fashion can change in the blink of eye. For years Chardonnay was the top of most white wine lists but this season another grape is proving a worthy challenger, that being Pinot Gris.

Twenty years ago Sauvignon Blanc was as cool as a pub with no beer, and seldom seen as a wine companion to fine food. But then along came New Zealand, and more specifically Marlborough, with beautifully pure wines packed full of delicious fruit and like a pack of All Blacks they stormed the competition. So much so that some of the best Sauvignon Blancs on the planet now come from Marlborough and the world is well and truly hooked.