Over the past year we traveling nomads have been sharing our journey traveling New Zealand whilst we are sequestered here sheltering from covid. We are extremely lucky at the happenstance to be here when all hell broke out in the rest of the world and we took the opportunity to join the kiwis for 8 weeks of lockdown that decimated covid here. After eight weeks of hard lockdown, New Zealanders were then able to travel the country unhindered, enjoying most tourist activities without crowds. Twelve months later, we are still here as the rest of the world, especially the USA is in turmoil. We have written about our campervan experience, our mountain bike trekking, adoption by kiwis, and more excitement and heartwarming tales than we can count.
It has been our privilege to taste wine from the far north of the north island, to as far south in the south island where grapes can be grown. Wine tasting experiences are not just about wine. Great wines are part of a great experience, but not everything. Often winery locations are picturesque, with world class gardens, or a spa-like calm ambiance, or peaceful picnicking. Sometimes we learn a bit through a really good tour. Sometimes the winery owners have put together museums, cute boutiques, or other attractions catering to their eccentricities or hobbies. Some marry marvelous dining or sampling menus with the wine tasting experience. But mostly, wine tasting loosens lips and people tend to be merry and friendly. Since we are two travelers, a long way from home for an extended period, talking to others is a pleasure that wine tasting often ticks.
A little about us:
We are originally Californians, but have been traveling nonstop for three years now. Living in California, we have taken many, many wine tasting trips through Napa, Sonoma, Santa Rosa and Santa Barbara counties dozens of times, and some trips to Washington as well. We have toured Croatian wineries pretty extensively, and some regions in Australia. We always drink local wines. Soon enough we will be in France; until then we drink what is grown nearby. There is something magic about how local wines and local foods pair. We are far from oenophiles, we just enjoy visiting wineries, talking with folks, and trying different wines. We know what we like; it may not be what you like, so we will try to keep our notes fact based and informative. One of us tends to prefer Bordeaux’s, super Tuscan style big reds, Argentine Malbecs, and Australian Barossa reds, while the other drinks only white wine, and looks to try anything but chardonnay. She loves Marlborough sauvignon blanc. So given her affinity for the Marlborough wines, we wanted to fit in a trip there. Originally it was not in the cards, but a quick two days on Waiheke Island outside Auckland was a doable excursion. The unexpected extra time in New Zealand gave us the opportunity to visit more regions. Little did we know how many wine regions there were in New Zealand, or the diversity and quality of the wines. We have been in wine tasting mecca and I want to get the word out. I have a saying that in New Zealand there are two things you are never too far from: water: two fairly small islands with big lakes in the middle; and sheep. Added a third: earthquakes; it is a very seismically active couple of islands. And a fourth: winery. In New Zealand, you are never too far from water, sheep, earthquakes, and wine.
The Wine Tasting Experience
There is something grounding about being surrounded by a vineyard. Even when the vines are dormant and just gray sticks. The parallel lines, often going over small hills or on steep hillsides following the contours of the earth. It is very zen-like. Now add a glass of wine, and if you are lucky, a sunset. Heaven on earth. Vineyard owners have figured out people enjoy this and many of them offer cabins or holiday homes on the fringes of their vineyards. Seek out these accommodations, it is worth a splurge.
For wine tasting, the venue makes a big difference. In the USA we call them tasting rooms, here they are called cellar doors. Tasting venues, usually located at the winery. Often the winery has a restaurant too. What better way to try out the winery’s offering than paired with expertly curated food. We have found rustic barns with tons of character, grape vines growing up the sides and old barrels for tables. Other tasting rooms are washrooms attached to the vineyard owner’s home. The owner ambles out to meet you after his wife yells at him, grabs some freshly washed (by hand) glasses and starts pouring. Alternatively, some cellar doors are elaborate venues perched over the vineyards, architecturally interesting and decked with art. All these experiences are golden. Add a view over the vineyard to the sea. Magnificent. New Zealand is not the only place that can offer this, but here it is on the menu a lot. Best view tasting rooms include: Rippon in Wanaka, Te Kano in Cromwell, Batch, Kennedy Estate, Cable Bay and Mud Brick in Waiheke Island. Yealands in the Awatere Valley outside of Marlborough. You need to drive out into the vast Yealand vineyards to see this one; you end up on a cliff overlooking the Sea. Worth it.
New Zealand Wines
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is experiencing a lot of fame and popularity at the moment and represents 88% of the wine New Zealand exports. Likely this is the only wine you thought was made here. The Marlborough style is a style of its own, people love it or hate it. What you may not have known is that New Zealand is making fantastic pinot noirs. It is quite likely that New Zealand pinots will gain accolades and enjoy fame too. Why? The proximity to water. As mentioned above, New Zealand is two islands. A lot of sea to land proportion. Most agricultural land is influenced by the sea, if not in view of it. Pinot Noir needs to ripen slowly. So the influence of the sea to cool the nights is imperative. Warm days, cool nights, make for pinot noir. All the regions in New Zealand are close to the sea. With the exception of Central Otago. In New Zealand, the furthest you can get from the sea is Otago. But Otago is right on a long finger lake, Lake Dunstan, cooling the evenings. Otago is also the hottest area in New Zealand. Perfect for ripening fruit. The Otago pinots were our favorite of all New Zealand’s wines.
Organic, Biodynamic and the Concrete Egg
A few elements of winemaking are different here. For one thing, organic is almost more prevalent than non organic wine here. We figured this was because kiwis are more health and environmentally conscious as a nation than most of the world. Turns out, while that is true, the real reason is something else. It is easier to be organic in New Zealand. New Zealand does not have a lot of insects. This is partly due to the hole in the ozone that makes for high ultraviolet radiation. It kills the bugs and gives us sunburns. Add to this that New Zealand is zealous (Zealand, zealous, get it?) about keeping bugs and fungus out of their country. The biosecurity here is first rate. They do not like travelers to bring worn hiking boots in the country. Forget about fruits or meats; the dogs are sharp and will not miss a sandwich in a backpack. A man this week was arrested and convicted of walking on a track that was closed to stop the spread of a fungus killing their beloved native Kauri trees. All this aids in their production of first rate foods…and wine.
A further extension of growing organic is growing biodynamically. The term “organic” we are all familiar with: no synthetic fertilizers, no chemical pesticides, no sulfites. “Biodynamic” is similar and also uses no outside yeasts. Biodynamic is a practice that takes cues from ancient farming. It is a little metaphysical maybe, based on an astronomical calendar, and based around the elements: water, earth, fire and water. Similar to the Farmer’s Almanac used to set days for different farming tasks. One aspect of biodynamic farming is using cow horns, filled with cow dung and buried in specific places (on a certain day). Then dug up and made into a tea for fertilization. Hopefully they reuse the cow horns year after year. And I will let my vegan friends decide if the resulting wine is vegan. It is also not unusual to see sheep grazing in vineyards, usually in the dormant period when they will not eat the vines and grapes. Once we met a kune kune pig content in his vineyard setting.
A second innovation we see here that we have not seen elsewhere is the concrete egg. This is a concrete, egg shaped vessel, used instead of a barrel or stainless vat. It is meant to mimic the ancient practice of using amphoras for fermenting. The lack of corners is said to cause better mixing. Plus, it breathes (unlike the stainless steel vat), but does not impart a taste (like an oak barrel). It is being used a lot with chardonnay grapes. Fad or not, who is to say; kiwis are innovators and willing to give it a try. Note: I do not know if the concrete egg was invented here, I just can say we see it used quite often.
Enough Viticulture, Back to Tasting Wine
I should mention that most of the wine you see exported is not available in the country. That is probably true of wine in most countries. The labels we see and buy are completely different from the ones I bought at home. Most ghastly to learn, the New Zealand Wines I was drinking at home are actually American owned labels. Kim Crawford is unknown here; I have never seen it in a store. It is American owned. Cloudy Bay, however, is known in the USA, and is also available (and popular here). Cloudy Bay is credited as the first to export Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and is still considered one of the best.
For Tasting Notes, we will start at the top: North Island, top to bottom.
Northland.
Soon after the lockdown was lifted and we could travel outside our adopted neighborhood, we tried to find tourist activities that were operating. It was sparse at first. Our first destination was the Bay of Islands. This North Island location is a tourist mecca in season. Oldest settlement in New Zealand is Russel at one end of the bay and the treaty between Europeans and Maori was signed at Waitangi on the other side. Boat trips, snorkeling, trips to the very top of the island, fishing; all happening from the bay when the tourists are about. Not so much right after lockdown. We hired a tour guide who put together a fun day of wine tasting. First stop was the famous Kerikeri farmers market where two local wineries were serving tastes of their wine. Besides, I love a farmer’s market. We also visited Ake Ake Winery and Marsden Estate. Northland wineries are growing a wide variety of different wines: varietals included: Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Muscat, Merlot, Pinotage, Chambourcin, Syrah and Tempranillo, among others. My guess is they are still experimenting with what will be the standout in this region. I have learned after tasting in different countries, not to exclude any varietal. Typically the right varietals are grown in the right places and you just may be surprised. That is except for Chardonnay which I consistently don’t like (it is just me and my taste buds). We dined at Marsden. I have high expectations for dining experiences at wineries. Usually, my expectations are not met. Not the case at Marsden, to date, I have not had a better meal; food at the Marsden Estate restaurant was exquisite.
Waiheke Island
Waiheke Island was our first wine tasting region. When we were here we thought is was the only wine tasting we would get in New Zealand. Other than Marlborough, it was the only region we had heard of either. It is chalk full of boutique wineries that cater to the cruise ship industry for a day trip off the boat. It is an easy trip to fit into any itinerary due to its proximity to Auckland. Could be done from Auckland in a day, but better over two days to soak up the island vibe and beautiful scenery. The island is gorgeous: very rugged steep hills, clear water, sandy beaches. Wineries are perched on the hill tops with views out over vineyards to gorgeous blue water coves. A better backdrop to wine tasting could not be possible. Weiheke has over a dozen wineries, more than can be visited in one day, or even two.
There is a hop on-hop off bus that delivers you to most of the wineries on the island. This is a genius concept that we have not seen in the USA; we first stumbled on in Australia. The bus allows more flexibility than a guided tour, but keeps you from driving yourself. Buses circle a route stopping at each winery approximately every hour. You pick your stops. Hop on hop off buses are also available for the Otago region, and Marlborough region. They do not stop at every cellar door, but many.
Overall we found Waiheke wine tasting to be touristy and the wines lacking. Also the tasting was lacking with the tiniest pours, not really giving one the ability to decide if they like the wine or not. This stingy pour comes at a hefty price (in New Zealand dollars, still a bargain compared to Napa tasting). The high prices are because the wineries are all very small with a limited supply. And the real reason, this area has (had) the captive audience of the cruise ships and proximity to Auckland. Our favorite wine was at Tantalus Estate, a new kid on the block. Mark’s big reds were available here. The prettiest was probably Batch Winery, the highest location with a variety of outside sipping locations to take advantage of the stunning views. Cable Bay and Mudbrick also offering gorgeous views and good wine. We enjoyed our stay on Waiheke and wine tasting here, but it only got better after that.
Gisborne
Gisborne was a stop on our campervan trip; the biggest city after several days of desolate beaches and camping. Until we got here, we did not know it was a substantial wine growing region. That was not the biggest surprise Kim encountered in Gisborne. We were here in the dead of winter, in a year marred by the covid outbreak. Like everywhere so far on our trip, this meant a change in plans. A lot of activities were closed, some for the season, some for good. But other activities typically closed in Winter were operating because they missed so much of Summer due to the lockdown. Also, kiwis were out in their campervans enjoying the lack of International tourists. Looking for things to do in Gisborne, we stumbled on a wine map. Wineries were operating out of season. Great find for us.
Our first stop was a wine bar that put together a custom wine tasting experience of local wines: Gisborne Wine Center. Our knowledgeable sommelier set us up for a couple days of wine tasting to follow. Here is a tip if you tell wine folks you do not like a particular varietal, you are setting yourself up for drinking a lot of it. I hate Chardonnay, so I mention that for my personalized wine wasting line up. I say, “I’ll skip the Chard”, or “I’ll try anything except the Chardonnay”. And you know what happens: they say “You should try ours, you will like it”. News flash: I never do. Until Gisborne. Mind blowing experience for me to have to admit, she was right, I do like this one. I tasted Gisborne Chardonnays constantly over the next few days and bought several of them. I still purchase one if I can ever find them in stores. You will probably never see wine from Gisborne outside of New Zealand, and pretty rare even there.
Some of the standout wineries we discovered were Matawero Wines and Milton Vineyards.
Hawkes Bay
Hawkes Bay is the largest wine region in New Zealand. Every big wine maker has vineyards here. It is the home of the first distinguished soil appalachian in New Zealand: the Gimlet Gravels. Quick draining gravel and hot weather allows this region to grow beautiful bordeaux varietals. It is the only area in New Zealand growing a lot of Cabernet Sauvignon. Other major players are Chardonnay and Syrah. Sauvignon Blanc in this area is fabulous too: smoother style than the sharp Marlboroughs.
The area is near Napier, an art deco city that is either a great base for wine tasting the region, or a must-do side step. Cape Kidnappers has a resident gannet rookery and a steep climb to a gorgeous view. We wine tasted here for a solid week and could have spent more time. Elephant Hill, and Clearview Estate are close together near the ocean near Cape Kidnappers. These were two favorites. Mission Estate, Sileni, Esk Valley were standout experiences also, but there were too many to list. Several wineries were not offering tastings when we visited due to the covid situation and lack of tourists, so do not exclude anything not mentioned (that goes for every region). I have purchased a lot of Clearview and Sileni wine since then, finding it in local markets. Do not mistake Clearview Estate wine for “Clearskin”. Clearskin is a term for bulk wine sold and re-labeled. Think Two-Buck-Chuck. Clearview Estate is definitely not this.
More apples are probably grown in Hawkes Bay than grapes, so cider tasting is also on the menu. Hawkes Bay is an agricultural area, but the water is near, Cape Kidnappers Bay, and the iconic Napier is nearby. Hawke’s Bay has a lot to offer.
Wairarapa Wine Region.
Martinborough is a small town in the Wairarapa region. We were directed to Martinborough for fine pinot noirs. Martinborough is a relatively cool area, with sea influence, therefore pinot noir is possible. We found the pinot noir style to be very delicate. Martinborough is a short drive (1.5 hour) from Wellington (a populous city, so expect crowds of day trippers. Martinborough is one of the only places in the world where we have been able to do our wine tasting by foot. The town is small but equipped and the wineries just outside town on a straight grid of roads. There was also a healthy bike rental business going on, including some party bikes seating 4 to 8 peddlers. The rental companies will even collect your wine purchases, so you do not need to worry about buying more than you can carry. The condensed area of wineries and businesses catering to wine tasting, makes this area appealing. Do not expect to have the cellar doors to yourself however. The wineries are all very small boutique operations. Some with restaurants. Te Kairanga was one of our favorites: laid back and rustic. Colombo for something different: Italian style, Luna and Poppies.
South Island
Nelson
Nelson sits on the top of the South Island. Over a mountain pass from the Marlborough wine region. It is not far from the Marlborough Sounds and the Abel Tasman National Park. The city Nelson is large in South Island standards. There are some outlying villages that would make a great base if the city turns you off. There is a lot to do in this area. The area is very agricultural, roadside fruit and veg stands are a must stop. Wineries are dispersed around the area; it is not a big area for tasting, check cellar door hours before you go. Nelson region has a surprising German influence, gewürztraminer available at a couple places; a great match for the local mussels. Sauvignon blanc is popular, hit or miss in my opinion, but when it hits, it hits. Pinot noir is the predominant red. We enjoyed Gravity Wines for tasting. This venue is surrounded by vineyard, surprisingly they offer tasting, glasses and bottles from a variety of local wineries. Te Mania was another favorite.
Marlborough
Marlborough is the queen of New Zealand wine making these days. The Sauvignon Blanc made here is enjoying international attention right now. It is a very distinct taste. It is not the only varietal you will find here, but it is the princess at the moment. Marlborough winemakers also make a lot of pinot noir, a lighter bodied, fruity style, and other white varieties: chardonnay, pinot gris and riesling. The region is a series of valleys, most large and flat. It is obvious farmland, anything could probably be grown here, you can envision wheat fields. There is a pretty mountain backdrop, but it is not the most picturesque area in New Zealand. Here the rows are straight and long, no rolling hills. No beautiful ocean view or views of rivers running through. There is also not much else to do in this area other than taste wine. Still we have managed to spend about ten days and three visits through the area: there is a lot of wine to taste here. We were lucky enough to stumble upon some Sunday entertainment at Forrest Estate. It ruined our day’s wine tasting itinerary, because we elected to bail on our plans and stay all afternoon enjoying glasses of wine in the sunshine, listening to a decent musician.
Our favorites in this region are: Dog Point and Astrolabe (both by appointment only). Other good vine tasting experiences are Fromm Winery, Te Whare Ra, Clos Henri and Spy Valley. The biggest town around is Blenheim; I would not say this town has adequately utilized the popularity of the area for tourists. Marlborough is where we found an AirB&B positioned in a vineyard. It was about a half hour from most of the wine tasting in the tiny village of Wairau. On the other side of the valley is a sub region of Awatere Valley. I particularly like the sauvignon blanc from this area, but cellar doors are scarce. It is hillier, and closer to the ocean; the sauvignon blanc from this area is mellower and hints of sea air.
North Canterbury
This region is not far from Christchurch and just off the highway. It is an eclectic collection of some known labels, large wineries and small boutiques. North Canterbury is not a large wine tasting area, but well worth a day or two visit. Close to the coast, this area is perfect for pinot noir. The style here is floral but more substantial than the wines we found in Martinborough and Marlborough. Chardonnay, including some made in the concrete egg, Sauvignon blanc, and riesling are available whites. Pegasus Bay Winery is a label you may see in wine shops and restaurants here, even exported. Good wine. But the reason to stop here is the beautiful Chinese style gardens. Visit, and take the time to stroll the grounds. Our favorite three stops were all on George Road: Bone Line, Georges Road Winery and Terrace Edge Wines. These three are small boutique wineries,all with stories to tell and some excellent wine on offer.
On the other side of Christchurch: Straight 8. They dub it “Seriously drinkable wine”. Winemaker was a character. Wine is experimental – that is all I will say about that. Fun experience.
Waitaki Valley Region
A tiny region famous for Riesling and pinot gris – okay, maybe not famous, but that is what they are known to do best. Visited on route from Wanaka to Timaru, the cellar door in the middle of the tiny town or Kurow is Ostler Winery. We found this winery because we missed a turn and needed to u-turn. Valli, excellent pinot gris, pinot noirs and gewürztraminer, we tasted at a consortium location near Gibbston, but the vineyards are in Waitaki. Valli is one of our favorite NZ vineries of all. This is a small region, but worth a mention for its higher than expected quality.
Central Otago
We have been working up to notes about the Otago region. By far, this is our favorite region in New Zealand and we know it the best. It is easily separated into some sub regions. Because of the curvy roads and distances, it is best to separate tasting here into different areas. We have done some tasting based in Frankton (near Queenstown), an even better base would be Arrowtown. And some tasting based near Cromwell. While Cromwell is not too far from Queenstown, it is not close enough. There is not too much else to do near Cromwell than drink wine. That being said, we have still spent a cumulative five weeks here. And a further district can best be reached from a base at Wanaka or as we did it, Lake Hawea. This region has a young history. The earliest vines were planted in the late 1980’s. The pinot noirs grown in Central Otago are sublime. Very different from the pinot noirs grown elsewhere in New Zealand. The soil is quick draining, a lot of limestone and schist, and the terrain hilly. Otago gets hot in the Summer like the central valley of California, but the nights cool off. No sea influence, but the steep terrain and nearby lakes do the trick. It is very dry, the mountains are brown and bare of trees. The pinot noirs made here are savory and weighty. For whites, Rieslings are probably the call. Rieslings we have found are mirrors of their soil. Grape growers in Otago have found special corners in their vineyards to grow interesting Rieslings.
From a base in Cromwell, or Clyde (our air B&B is in Clyde) you can visit wineries in Alexandra, Bannockburn, Loburn, Bendigo, and Pisa (over several days). If you like Bubbles (what kiwis call sparkling wines), Quartz Reef is in the middle of Cromwell. The big players in the region, all excellent but pricey wines are Mt Difficulty and Fenton Road (both in the Bannockburn area) and Cloudy Bay (Marlborough fame) has a cellar door and vineyards here. Fenton Road Winery is both biodynamic and organic. We have been on dozens of winery tours. You need one. Still this one is different and we found it very worthwhile. New Zealand makes wine a little differently than California. Standout wine tasting experiences were Te Kano, Aurum, Misha’s, Domaine Thompson. Aurum and Domaine Thompson are both French owned. That should tell you something about the potential of this region.
Gibbston
Coming from the Queenstown side of the valley, we are calling this sub-region Gibbston. The drive from Queenstown is beautiful (for the passengers). You drive by the first bridge to host bungee jumping; A.J. Hacket Bungee Center. You can stop for a jump (before tasting, no inebriated jumpers allowed. Or just to watch. Across from the bungee center is a gravel road leading to Chard Farm Winery. We loved this winery, but the road is not for the faint of heart. It is fitting to be across from the adrenalin mecca. Mt Rosa was another favorite, excellent pinot noirs. Across the street from this was Peregrine Wines. Closer to Queenstown: Wet Jacket is a small cellar door worth a stop, and the bigger two: Amisfield and Akaroa. Amisfield and Akaroa are very near Arrowtown. Both of these have a wide variety of good wine and good restaurants.
Wanaka
There are a lot of reasons to visit Wanaka besides wine tasting. However, there is always time to fit some in; this area’s wineries will not disappoint. Rippon is the big player here. This winery has an indisputably glorious view of Lake Wanaka. Other than that, we found the wine tasting experience to be wanting. The wines on offer were not our favorite and the tasting experience was stiff. We gave it another chance and came for dinner at a pop-up restaurant collaboration. We found this lacking too. Food meh, wine pairing non-existent. Wine list poor. Let’s just say, Rippon has potential. A fantastic experience was had at Maude Wines, also right in Wanaka. Good wines, good food, friendly staff. Just out of town we found some youngish vineyards with excellent wines to taste: Paddons Paddock, and Aitken’s Foley. Small wineries where you may be tasting with the winemaker or grower are always gems. These are two of those.
Geographically speaking, we are as south in the world that grapes will grow. Luckily we have stocked up on Marlborough Sauv blancs, Bannockburn Pinot noirs, Gizzy Chards and a smattering of interesting Rieslings.
A really great resource for more about the wine regions and wines of New Zealand is https://www.nzwine.com/ This website is put together by a consortium of New Zealand wine makers. I consulted it to check facts while writing this piece.