KEY POINTS:
When it comes to variety in the vineyards, Kiwis have been a conservative bunch. From Albarino to Zweigelt, the world has hundreds of grape varieties, but only 17 are significant enough to be listed in New Zealand Winegrowers' current stats.
And 84 per cent of New Zealand's vineyards
are taken up by its top five varieties.
Sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, chardonnay, merlot and pinot gris dominate our wine production. Admittedly it's a good selection - all but the gris of these French-sired specimens are considered classic varieties. Sauvignon and pinot noir in particular are making strikingly distinctive expressions - a success that has deterred many from looking far beyond them.
New Zealand's cool climate, in which many varieties struggle to ripen, has also narrowed our range, as have changes in quarantine procedures in the past decade, which stymied new vine imports for a time. But recent years have brought a surge in the number of vines available, and a growing number of wineries are willing to embark on a voyage of vine discovery to see what they can produce in our climes.
With 17 varieties planted, Trinity Hill in Hawkes Bay is one winery at the forefront of New Zealand's grape explorations. It's had considerable success with Spain's tempranillo and Italy's montepulciano, and has high hopes for white varieties such as arneis, rousanne, marsanne and superior muscat varieties.
"Hawkes Bay's Gimblett Gravels is such new territory," says Trinity Hills chief executive John Hancock. "If we don't trial new varieties there, we'll never know what works best."
Herzog is another winery with a long history of varietal experimenting. The recent release of minute quantities of its 2004 nebbiolo means it has achieved the near impossible feat of making a decent and very drinkable version of this difficult variety outside its Italian home territory, Piedmont. Because the vines bear no fruit for their first decade, the experiment has required time and patience that few larger companies would be prepared to invest.
As New Zealand is such a young winegrowing country, it's exciting to think that there are so many varieties that we could still excel in and can produce something quite unique.
"As a country we don't have much knowledge of varieties yet," says Nick Hoskins, viticulturalist at Riversun, the nursery responsible for bringing in the new wave of vines.
"Some might do well and might be quite different here than they are in their native countries."
Our impressive track record with aromatic varieties means these are the new vines creating the biggest buzz among wineries, says Hoskins. Austria's gruner veltliner has elicited the greatest interest of all, although little will be in the ground until next year. But as a big fan of if gru-vee - as it's become known in the United States, where it's very trendy - I'm impatient to see how it will perform here.
We're unlikely to see our flagship sauvignon blanc supplanted by the likes of sangiovese, but in the fickle world of wine where varietal fashions come and go, New Zealand would do well to add more strings to its bow.
And, as I taste what feels like my thousandth sauvignon of the new season, I will be mentally raising a glass of gruner veltliner to greater diversity in our grapes.
Cooper's Creek The Little Rascal Arneis Gisborne 2007 $24
Arneis is a white variety that we are likely to see a lot more of if the success of this example is any indication. It's full-bodied but fresh, with zesty lemon and fleshy peach fruit, and a hint of hazelnuts and spice. From Al Dente wines, Caros, Glengarry Jervois Rd.
Hiedler Gruner Veltliner Spiegel 2006 Kamptal Austria $27.99
A classic example of an Austrian gruner veltliner, with its succulent stone fruit, zippy citrus acidity and seasoning of white pepper. From Caro's.
Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Tempranillo 2006 $29.95
This wine is bursting with bright strawberry and dark berry fruit, in a ripe and rich mid-weight wine with a dusting of powdery tannins and pinch of spice. From Liquor King, Liquorland, Caro's, Glengarry, Fine Wine Delivery Company.