Is it New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc From New Zealand?

There is a difference between New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and here it is.

Not long ago, New Zealand wine commentator Jayson Bryant wrote a column with the title “Where Has All the New Zealand Wine Gone?“. Today there are multiple categories of production in the world of New Zealand wine, in fact the industry body lists producers by size and includes three categories of small – medium and large. This has nothing to do with quality – just raw volume of wine produced.

The wines in the Jayson’s photo  are generally New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs – well made wines that are readily available in wine departments from Hong Kong – Tokyo – London – New York – Chicago – Los Angeles & beyond. These wines have won many awards, generally have honorable scores, priced fairly and adequate at most meals. These wines are produced by global conglomerates or large family run businesses. None of this is either good or bad – it is just the way it is.

To understand Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, you have to take a moment and imagine walking through a farmers market filled with vendors who have a dazzling array of fresh fruits, vegetables, breads, eggs, cheese and so on. This market is a true delight for the senses where the creators of these wonderful foods have assembled to sell their goods. This is Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, wines that are only produced in small quantities with limited availability.

In another blog Misha Wilkenson writes about the small New Zealand wine producers and the marketing challenges facing this large group of small producers. In round numbers about 90% of all New Zealand wine producers make less than 25,000 cases of wine. This is the farmers market of New Zealand wines – challenge is finding them.

This is why I suggest Sauvignon Blanc (or Pinot Noir etc) from New Zealand is the proper designation for these special and hard to find New Zealand wines. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is everywhere – Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, not so easy to find.

Back to the farmers market – basket loaded and now home in the kitchen preparing a meal for friends – imagine a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand with the first course and for the second a Pinot Noir from New Zealand – there was an effort to put it all together – the smiles on your friends faces confirm the effort was worth it.

Here is another side story that suggests if you truly want to find these special wines from New Zealand you have to either live there or get on a plane. (Quote is from end of article).

“I also met 2 charming Antipodeans from New Zealand who were working in Bristol to whom I apologised beforehand about part of my talk re the additives in cheap New Zealand wines.

Their reply was

“Please don’t apologise. It’s a well known fact back at home that the cheaper wines are produced for the masses and the locals won’t buy it – so we send it over to you!”

Wait – there is a Sticky from New Zealand for desert and a car with driver to take you home!

How Sauvignon Blanc is Stored Does Matter

Auckland scientists studying the unique characteristics of New Zealand sauvignon blanc have shown that cold storage can triple the shelf life of the wine by reducing the loss of characteristic tropical fruit aromas over time.

Associate professor Paul Kilmartin, of the wine science programme and department of chemistry at the University of Auckland, says that New Zealand sauvignon blanc has a variety of styles and aromas, but wines from Marlborough in particular are known and valued for their intense tropical fruit and herbaceous aromas.

“It has been widely accepted that these aromas are lost with age and that the wine, which has traditionally been stored at room temperature, is best enjoyed young,” he says. For the rest of the article click here

Unplugged Wine Interview With @Garyvee and @TheWineVault

I saw this the other day and enjoyed seeing a mellowed out Gary Vaynerchuk. Maybe the Southern Hemisphere suits Gary.

 

It was refreshing to listen to Gary and Jayson talk about wine with no pretense – just sharing what they feel is important to them. 

 

This video reminded me of the summer of 1993 I moved back to the USA from New Zealand and Eric Clapton’s unplugged album was released. Great music in a very laid back feel to it. Something we all need from time to time.

 

Thanks to Gary and Jayson for sharing their thoughts.

 

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Happy Birthday to Nautilus Estate of Marlborough New Zealand

“It was twenty years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play. They’ve been going in and out of style But they’re guaranteed to raise a smile. So may I introduce to you……….”

New Zealand wines have a short history and only a few have 25 years of experience, Nautilus Estate in Marlborough is one who recently celebrated their 25th birthday. 

 

I like people and wineries who have confidence in what they do – Nautilus Estate  displayed this recently at a Twitter #SauvBlanc tasting and opened a 2002 Sauvignon Blanc – while a Twitter tasting does not let participants share what is in everyone’s glass – I give them the benefit of the doubt and believe their 2002 was still a respectable glass of wine. This is special when so many wines today do not excite enough to have a second glass. 

Happy Birthday to everyone at Nautilus Estate.

Click to Play 25th Anniversary Video

Can New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Age Well?

Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is always thought best consumed early in its youth. For many this is true and now there is an emerging group of New Zealand wine producers whose efforts will continue to delight for several years.

A recent event in New Zealand invited John Avery to discuss and taste some past vintages of Sauvignon blanc. You can read the entire article here ………

Wine Library TV: Gary Vaynerchuk’s daily wine video blog

Daniel Schuster from the Waipara Valley in New Zealand continues his discussion with Gary V about the delicious wines he produces in New Zealands South Island.

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Talking New Zealand Wine and More with Daniel Schuster – Part 1 – Episode #684

If you think you understand New Zealand wines, this interview with Daniel Schuster will open your eyes to both the history and what you are probably missing. Go, seek and then smile!

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Ash Ridge Wines Harvest News

Emma Peet from Ash Ridge Wines in Hawkes Bay sent this harvest update from last week. Thanks to Emma.

Friday 13^th is known as Black Friday for some, but for Ash Ridge it was anything but black as we harvested 4 tonnes of first crop Chardonnay from Cardoness Vineyard.  The sun was shining as the grapes were hanging golden in the sun.  Within a couple of hours all of the grapes were picked and safely transported to the winery. 

 

This wine has a lot of promise as the first year a vine is harvested is generally thought to produce pretty special wine and it’s often an indicator of the quality of fruit to come in future years. We are really excited about this wine and are looking forward to launching our first Ash Ridge Chardonnay for sale later in the year.

 Our Sauvignon Blanc was harvested the previous week and is already fermenting in barrel.  We tend to produce intense flavours in our wines from Ash Ridge vineyard due to the diurnal range of temperatures: from the intense heat of the day to the much cooler nights. 

 So, the whites are in!  But we are still only half way through vintage with all our reds still to pick: Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec.  Let’s hope that  the weather continues to be kind.

• To follow what’s happening on the vineyards and in the winery follow NZWineDog on social networking site Twitter.
• To experience fine wine from the newest boutique winery in Hawke’s Bay, Ash Ridge Wines are available via the website: Ash Ridge Wines 

Wines of Clos Marguerite

Meet Marguerite and learn a little about the special wines that are created by her and Jean Charles at their vineyard in Marlborough New Zealand. The vineyard is located on a river terrace above the Awatere River. Both Marguerite and Jean Charles agree that wines that are special and bring lasting memories begin in the vineyard. Today Marguerite talks about both Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.

Formats available: Windows Media (.wmv)