Vine growing areas

The wine regions in New Zealand stretch from latitudes 34°S in the north (comparable in latitude to Jerez, Spain), to 46°S in the south (comparable in latitude to Bordeaux, France). The climate in New Zealand is maritime, meaning that the sea moderates the weather, producing cooler summers and milder winters than would be expected at similar latitudes in Europe and North America. Maritime climates tend also to demonstrate higher variability with cold snaps possible at any time of the year and warm periods even in the depth of winter. The climate is typically wetter, but wine regions have developed in rain shadows and in the east, on the opposite coast from the prevailing moisture-laden wind. The wine regions of New Zealand tend to experience cool nights even in the hottest of summers. The effect of consistently cool nights is to produce fruit which is nearly always high in acidity. Wine regions are mostly located in free draining alluvial valleys. The alluvial deposits are typically the local sandstone called greywacke, which makes up much of the mountainous spine of New Zealand. There are also chalk and limestone soils on South Island with glaciers defining the soils in the far south of the country’s wine regions.

Wine laws and innovation

New Zealand has only recently adopted a system to protect the identity of its regions. The Geographical Indications (GI) (Wine and Spirits) Registration Amendment Bill was passed by New Zealand’s parliament in November 2016 and has taken registrations for the current regions until 2019. The system is similar to the Australian system that merely identifies a region and does not seek to restrict viticulture or winemaking practice. It operates in a similar country, region and subregion as many other countries. It also doesn’t test for quality.

New Zealand wines are known for their use of stainless-steel tanks and screwcaps rather than cork. The use of stainless steel may not have begun in New Zealand, but it was an early pioneer due to spare tanks left over from the dairy industry. They allowed early winemakers to keep the freshness of fruit from cool climate Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay that gave New Zealand an excellent reputation for world class white wines.

In 2001, New Zealand decided to implement the New Zealand Screw Cap Wine Seal Initiative because research found that the closure of the screw cap was much better at preventing spoil and cork taint. This is particularly important for the New Zealand wine industry that predominantly produces white wines for early drinking. However, nearly all wines produced have now decided to reject cork with more than 90 per cent of New Zealand wines sealed this way.