New Zealand’s wine is diversifying

New Zealand’s wine industry is around three decades old and while this might seem like a long time, in the wine industry this is relatively little. What is very exciting for people who are interested in wine is that the country is still experimenting with different flavours and varieties of grapes. This experimentation is growing at a rapid pace and every year it seems thatNew Zealandwine makers are trying out new varieties of grape and blends.

Varietal wines, instead of blends are what dominates theNew Zealandwine industry that there have been some notable exceptions in the north of the island where the weather is a little warmer. This has resulted in several classic wines such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon being blended in the style of manyBordeauxwines.

The taste ofNew Zealandconsumers are constantly developing and the capabilities of the wine industry are always increasing. That said, it is likely that non blended wines are going to dominate theNew Zealandwine industry for some time to come.

Varietal wines are those that are made from one single type of grape, whereas blended wines include a number of these varietals mixed together. There are different standards internationally about what constitutes a blended wine and inNew Zealandthe threshold is rather low because the country has an intense focus on making high-quality wines.

New Zealandis most famous for Sauvignon Blanc wines and these became most popular in the late part of the 20th century due to the introduction of the wines to the British market. This type of wine is very intense and has a distinct flavour and is generally well-regarded in the international wine community. This wine is mostly produced in the south part of the country but there are winemakers all overNew Zealandmaking this type of wine.

The second most popular type of white wine inNew Zealandis Chardonnay and this is mostly grown in the North of the country. Until six or seven years ago Chardonnay was the second most popular type of wine from New Zealand but it has been recently been overtaken by the country’s Pinot Noir. The quality of the Chardonnay fromNew Zealandhas greatly improved in recent years as a wider variety of Chardonnay grapes have been brought to the country.

Pinot Noir is certainly the most popular type of red wine made inNew Zealandand some of the country’s best Pinot Noir comes fromCentral Otagowhether winegrowers benefit from a moderate climate and mountainous terrain. Most winemaking areas inNew Zealandare near the coast andCentral Otagoprovides an environment for making a wine with a more complex flavour, which is something that has been met with great favour by wine critics.Bordeauxblends are something we have already mentioned and these are becoming increasingly popular inNew Zealandand most blends include red wines such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.