Let's celebrate New Zealand wines

I'm as guilty as the next person of dwelling a bit too much on the doom and gloom side of the state of our wine industry. I guess that's because I keep getting asked questions such as: "Why is there so much cheap New Zealand wine on the market these days." And: "Why are all our winemakers looking so stressed".
Our industry is suffering terribly. Many wineries have gone into receivership, growers can't find buyers for their fruit and more than 100 vineyards are on the market.
It's a shambles, so now it's time to do something about it. It's time New Zealand started to claw its way back to the top of the shelf. The way to do that is to look after our own.
The Aussies have already made that call with award-winning winemaker Stephen Pannell urging Australians to get over the "cultural cringe" and drink only Australian-made during January to support their struggling industry.
Pannell launched a website a fortnight ago asking Australians to boycott imported wines from January 1 until Australia Day on January 26.
"We are nearly a net importer of wines above $20 into this country," he said in the Herald Sun. "We don't have the same pride in what we do [with wine] as we do with our food ingredients and other things" he says.
In its first two days the "pledge" www.allforonewine.com attracted about 200 supporters, mainly winemakers, plus distributors, restaurants and some members of the public.
Well, I say New Zealand drinkers don't have much in the way of "cultural cringe" when it comes to wine these days. We're a proud bunch and we know we produce world-class wine.
However, we tend to be very value-conscious and our wallets lead the way when it comes to making a decision what to buy.
Now is the time that we're buying up big for our Christmas functions, corporate presents and summer parties. Many of us are also looking for something special to serve on Christmas Day or for gifts.
We're also trying to find good cheap-and-cheerful wines to stock up the fridge at the bach or caravan.
I suggest we go one step further than our Aussie cobbers and start our campaign to buy local today, right now, and carry it through to Waitangi Day on February 6.
I suspect the big, fancy champagne producers in France don't really care about how much they sell in little old Nouvelle Zealande.
We're but a tiny blip on their radar where world sales are concerned, so I'm sure they won't bat a baguette if we just say no to champagne for a few weeks.
It will be difficult. We will see wine retailers advertising cheap French fizz over the coming weeks, but try choosing a New Zealand methode instead.
We produce exceptionally good sparkling wine, so if you're thinking about spending on an upmarket brand try maybe No1 Family Estate, Pelorus, Nautilus, Morton or Hunter's before a wine from other climes. The Lindauer range punches above its weight time and time again and there are a plethora of really interesting and tasty sparkling sauvignons, pinot gris and even sparkling rieslings out there to try. Where still wines are concerned, it's not unusual to see shiny medals from wine shows on bottles retailing between $15 and $20. These wines represent incredible value for money and they totally over-deliver.
I know because I judge at some of those shows and those medals are not easily earned.
To be awarded even a bronze means that wine has to be something pretty special.
So please, please, please try to fish out an extra five bucks the next time you shop - you'll definitely be rewarded.
But if you're stuck in an under-$12 budget, please think about buying something locally produced.
The only way to get rid of the lake of cheap wine that's hurting brand New Zealand in our crucial export markets is for us to buy it up.
Better it's bought here than end up in a bargain bin at Tesco.
For the many wine importers and distributors of foreign wines into New Zealand this will probably go down like a cup of cold sick.
I'll still review overseas wines, because I believe having a choice is important.
But if Australian winemakers are making the call to the public to buy only Australian-made then that puts New Zealand in the gun.
Australia is a huge export market for our wine, particularly where sauvignon blanc and pinot noir are concerned.
So I'm sure they'll understand if we follow their example.
After all, it's only for a few weeks, so no hard feelings.