Key grape varieties

New Zealand has long been best known for its Sauvignon Blanc, which dominates New Zealand’s wine industry. In 2017 its vines took up 22,085 hectares (54,570 acres) of vineyard area, a full 60% of New Zealand’s total grape planting, and Sauvignon Blanc wine made up 86% of the nation’s exports. New Zealand’s Sauvignon Blanc is regarded by many critics as among the best in the world.

Chardonnay is produced in the most southerly regions, but plantings increase the further north one goes. There is little discernible difference in styles of Chardonnay between the New Zealand wine regions; individual winemakers’ recipes, use of oak, and the qualities of a vintage have tended to blur any distinction of terroir.

Pinot Gris emerged in the early 2000s from almost nowhere to the country’s fourth most planted variety 2017, overtaking Riesling in 2007. It is planted mostly in Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay with the remainder in the South Island.

The late 1970s was early in the modern New Zealand wine industry, and the comparatively low annual sunshine hours to be found in New Zealand discouraged the planting of red varieties. Despite this, some held great hopes for Pinot Noir. Initial results were mixed due to limited access to good clones, yet the Saint Helena Winery, 1984 Pinot Noir caused excitement and the beginning for Pinot Noir as the dominant red variety in New Zealand. New Zealand red wines are also made from the classic Bordeaux varieties, mainly Merlot, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Syrah wines from Hawkes Bay have also gained a good reputation internationally. New Zealand also has small plantings of Tempranillo, Pinotage, Montepulciano and Sangiovese in some of the warmer northern regions with still limited success.