New Zealand Flashcards
(5 cards)
New Zealand
General Info
- Cool climate + big supply of Chard and PN = great potential
- Sparkling = tiny part of the market due to success of still wines
- Traditional method bottle-fermented wines dominates the mid- to premium-priced sector
- med intensity aromas of apple and lemon / light autolytic notes / high acidity
- typically Brut style / good to very good + some outstanding examples
- Carbonated wines also made
New Zealand
Growing enviroment and grape growing
- South island = better suited (cooler clime)
- Marlborough + Central Otago = main sources of grapes
Marlborough:
- Low risk of late frost or hailstorm
- prevalent north-west wind help draying the grapes after rain (reduce fungal disease)
- need for irrigation due to free draining alluvial soils + high level of transpiration due to wind
- good access to clean water from a costant underground water table
Grapes harvested 2 weeks prior grapes for still wine / potential alcohol between 10-11% abv
New Zealand
Winemaking
- Typically a blend of PN and Chardonnay
- Traditional method (higher quality) / transfer method (biggest producers) / Carbonation (inexpensive wines)
- Many wineries send blended wine to a contract winemaking facility for the addition of tirage (bottles returned to the producers for 2nd fermentation and ageing) + sent away again for disgorging and dosage
- MALO to reduce high acidity
- Usually around 18 moths lees ageing (more for some premium producers)
- Some use reserve wines for NV bottles
New Zealand
Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc
Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc = after the oversupply of Sauvignon Blanc of the 2008 harvest
- carbonation method
- med+ intensity green capsicum and passion fruit notes / no autolytic character / high acidity / med- lenght
New Zealand
Wine law and Wine business
- large companies who also make still wines (e.g. Oyster By) / Specialist firms (e.g. No Family Estate)
- Sparkling wine export = 0.8% of total exports
