What are typical and special characteristics of New Zealand wines?

Because New Zealand is an island, their climate is largely temperate. The northern part of
the island is generally sub-tropical and the lower island has a large range, from costal and mild
temperatures to below freezing weather inland. Because of this, the grapes in New Zealand retain
most of their acidity and thus brings out a crisp, citrus flavor in the wines. The majority of grapes
on the lower island are grown near to the coast to avoid any of the freezing conditions inland.
The days are typically warm with cool evenings, again creating a higher acidity in the grapes
grown.
To preserve the acidity of the wine even further, 95% of wines bottled in New Zealand
use a screw cap as opposed to a corckscrew. This prevents any potential contaminating flavors or
aromas such as a wet cardboard flavor or wooden flavor that would interfere with the herbaceous
and crisp flavors typical of New Zealand wines.
For an example of typical flavors in New Zealand wines, the most popular export is Kim
Crawford Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is described by the manufacturer as the following:

The following is another example, however this one is from another island favorite Pinot Noir:

The United States being the largest importer of New Zealand wines, we know the country
for their Sauvignon Blanc wines. There are, however, other popular varieties that locals enjoy
just as much as Sauvignon Blanc. This variety makes up 72% of grape production in the country,
but there is also a large demand for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and red blends.
What laws and labeling rules pertain to the wines of New Zealand?
The label on the wine must include a name or description that indicates the true nature of
the style. This includes the type of wine (white, red, sparkling, etc.), variety, vineyard, or a
generic name (such as Port). Country of origin must also be included, and if there are multiple
countries of origin each country must be indicated on the label, the region of the country is
generally prefered for the bottles. It must also display the alcohol by volume and the net contents
in a prominent position on the bottle. The name of the vineyard must be included and the address
of the location the wine is produced at must be on the back label as well.
The wine variety listed on the label must be 85% that specific variety. In blends, 85% of
the grapes must be from the grapes listed on the label and also listed in order of proportion in the
wine. It must also be 85% from the year listed as the vintage on the bottle.
Since New Zealand is considered a new world wine region, the labels look different
from many other areas in the world. There is often equal or more importance put on the variety
of wine rather than the winery it comes from, where old world regions emphasize highly the
winery.
The standard bottle size is 750 milliliters, however if the winery is making a special
batch, a fortified wine, sparkling wines, sweet wines, and wines with high alcohol content may
be required to be put into a smaller bottle.
The recommended wine label for New Zealand wiens is a simple label with a plain
background, standard font, and even, clean spacing.

The labels must also include information about the number of standard drinks (about 6
ounce pours for a standard alcohol by volume), sulfite information, and any potential allergen
contaminates.
What is the regional cuisine and how was wine developed to compliment it?
New Zealand is one of the ultimate food melting pots. There is a wide variety of styles
that have influenced the culture, from traditional Maori meals, to Asian-fusion, to traditional
English dishes, there is something for every palate available in the country.

There are a few dishes that are considered New Zealand staples, and would most likely
pop up if you were ever to find a New Zealand style restaurant. These include lamb, pork chops,
venison, salmon, crayfish, oysters, kumara (sweet potato), kiwi, mussels, scallops, and New
Zealand shellfish pipis and tuatua. All of the listed entrees are less involved as distinct tastes,
but rather how they are enjoyed.
New Zealand has a notoriously laid back culture which relies a lot on togetherness and
quality time. Unlike the United States, meals are eaten in groups and eating out is generally
reserved for special occasions only. There are not many options for fast food simply because it is
not as popular with the local citizens as it is with visiting tourists. There are many barbeques or
potlucks throughout the seasons with gathering friends and family. These occasions are typically
BYOB unless it is a milestone birthday or other large celebration. An important thing to note at
this point is the fact that wine is not the most enjoyed beverage choice in the country. Beer and
dairy are New Zealands top grossing food industries, meaning that wine is not the typical choice
beverage for these gatherings. Wine is much more focused on the tourism aspect, as will be
mentioned later on.
Traditional Maori food is a large draw for locals and tourists alike. Hangi is considered an
essential food item to many. This is prepared by digging a hole in the ground, using hot stones to
line the bottom, vegetation to cover the stones, and seasoned chicken, pork, lamb, potatoes,
kumara, and vegetables on top of the leaves, water is then sprinkled on the top of the food and
covered with more leaves. The hole gets filled in with the ground remenants and it is left to sit.
Men dig and prepare the hole while the women prepare the food to go in it. This event is meant
for a family or group of friends to enjoy, as it is not typical to eat with only a couple of people.
The herbaceous nature of the food cooked pairs well with the crisp, herbaceous wines that New
Zealand produces, or could go well with a lager, which is the most common beer produced in the
area.
Fish and chips is another classic dish that can be found in New Zealand. In fact, New
Zealand has a highly grossing seafood industry as well. There are many Asian-fusion style dishes
that are popular with this as well, especially Pad Thai and sushi. These spicy dishes pair well
with the acidity in New Zealand wines.
Having a booming dairy industry, many New Zealand wines pair well with fine cheeses
such as Havarti or Brie, although charceuterie is usually reserved for special occasions or tapas
gatherings.
How should regional wines be enjoyed by the consumer?
With a large emphasis on being together, wine is meant to be consumed with others.
Home cooking is extremely prevalent and most families eat meals together. These meals are
typically consumed during later evening hours with eight pm being a standard dinner hour. The
pairing of wines is regionally dependent with Sauvignon Blanc being most popular on the south
island, especially in the Marlborough region, where Pinot Noir is most popular on the north
island, especially in Martinborough.

There are many tours and festivals to enjoy wine at, which are widely popular among
tourists and young drinkers, but are less popular among the rest of the drinking population of
New Zealand locals.
Each month out of the year has at least 5 prominent festivals for people to enjoy, often
incorporating cuisine and art with the wine options.
What are the major regional festivals or events for locals and tourists related to wine and
grapes in the region?
Wine festivals in New Zealand are not nearly as popular as food or beer festivals given
that it is a newer industry, however there are increasingly more wine related events throughout
the year. This could be because of high tourist attraction to the wines of New Zealand, or it could
be the steady increase in domestic wine sales within the country.
The events that occur focus mainly on bringing people together and establishing
comradery between locals of all ages and tourists. These events are also meant to show off local
cuisine, wine, and culture. Generally speaking, the events are aimed solely at the local producers,
however there are a few notable festivals that aim to bring all of New Zealand together.
The largest festival is the Taste of Auckland, held annually in Auckland New Zealand.
This festival is mainly Auckland based producers, although there are a few vendors from outside
of the city. Taste of Auckland is an all-foods festival, and truly explores the wide variety of
cuisine and beverages the city has to offer.
The Christchurch Wine and Food Festival is a relatively new festival, but is the second
most popular. This festival features fourty different local wineries with a wide variety of tasting
options. Because it is predominantly a wine festival, this attracts a more sophisticated adult
crowd with a fair mix of tourists and locals.
Toast Martinborough is a unique festival in that its sole focus is wine. Martinborough is
famous for Pinot Noir production, but the festival celebrates all New Zealand wines and brings in
an array of wineries from all scales.
The city of Wellington has two popular festivals catering to different groups of people.
The first is Visa Wellington on a Plate, which celebrates gourmet foods, as the region is known
for, and complimenting wines. There is also the Pinot Noir NZ event, in which a beloved variety
is celebrated and brings together Pinot Noir from throughout the country.
Most of the wine events allow for a more sophisticated environment than other music or
beer festivals, however there are a few newer festivals that cater to more young people including
music, sea-side fun, and a variety of beverage options.
Whether you are looking for something small or something loud and large, New Zealand
has festivals to cater to every need and every budget.

How is the accessibility of regional wineries to the tourist?

Wineries in New Zealand are extremely accessible to tourists and locals alike. Winery
tours are much more popular with tourism, however, drawing in large crowds each year. A
prohibition era halted the production and sale of wine up until mid-century, and shortly after a
phylloxera outbreak caused grape production to be stopped, however the production of wine and
consumerism surrounding it has been increasing ever since.
On the islands, there are a variety of ways to get around from winery to winery. There are
bike tours, taxi services, even a helicopter experience to get you from place to place. The
wineries are typically free entry with the only cost being the wine sampling. Each winery is
given a quality rating and can be endorsed by the New Zealand tourism board with different
awards to offer insights to tourists visiting.
The most popular wine tour in New Zealand is a total of 5 days and allows a large variety
of regions to be experienced. Maps are pictured below:

On Waiheke island, a 35 minute ferry ride from Auckland, is known as the island of
wine and can make for a good day trip for anyone looking to experience something further
outside of the mainland. However, there are specialties for each region and the most popular
regions are generally in highly accessible areas like Queensland and Auckland.

From local to large-scale wineries, any palate can be satisfied on a trip to New Zealand.
There are highly popular brands that give the option to do a tour and sampling with special
reserve blends available to taste on site only. There are also small, family run wineries that allow
for more niche tastes to be accommodated. Whether you are a fan of classics or something
different, there is sure to be something for you.
How does wine production fit in with other local tourism attractions?
Because wine is not a top industry among locals in New Zealand, there is not much to be
said about local tourism, however the wine industry draws in thousands of tourists from outside
the country each year.
Wine culture in New Zealand largely represents the group cohesiveness and enjoyment of
company, therefore wine tours and the general consumption of wine revolves largely around this.
As stated earlier, potlucks and barbeques are widely popular and not reserved solely for special
occasions like they often are in the United States. Wine is enjoyed in a group setting like these,
and often beer and spirits are offered as well. The idea of sharing a bottle of wine is widely
accepted and celebrated in New Zealand culture and allows for more ties to be made.
Tourism allows for a greater amount of people to experience the culture of New Zealand
as most winery tours follow the laid back atmosphere that Kiwis enjoy daily. There is no rush to
get from place to place and no worries about being on time. People allow their activities to be
spontaneous and relaxed rather than planned and instantaneous like it is in the United States.
New Zealand truly allows for a relaxing getaway with coastal culture to ski slopes, everyone is
within a close distance. There are available seaside restaurants where you can enjoy wild caught
shrimp or other shellfish with a glass of crisp and citrusy Sauvignon Blanc while you watch the
sun set, and there are mountain side eateries where you can enjoy heart lamb chops with a glass
of fruity Pinot Noir.

Wine is often produced in areas that draw people in due to the aesthetically pleasing
nature of the landscapes. Wine is enjoyed with beautiful scenery and beautiful weather, allowing
for a full sensory experience. New Zealand is a popular place to film movies, with notable box
office hits such as The Hobbit, King Kong, Lord of the Rings, and James Camerons Avatar, so
having a view of the landscape is a huge plus for tourists.

Because tourism is a large part of New Zealands economy, they make sure that there are
standards met by wineries, restaurants, and other areas. This allows for visitors to ensure their
New Zealand experience is world class.