Distinctive visitors: There's a whole world of wines available in New Zealand today. Photo / Getty Images
Distinctive visitors: There's a whole world of wines available in New Zealand today. Photo / Getty Images
Do you drink mostly New Zealand or imported wine? New Zealand Winegrowers’ Annual Report for the 2022-23 financial year says domestic sales of local wine were an estimated 42.9 million litres – slightly below the 43.3 million litres imported, mostly (more than 70%) from Australia.
Vintners NZ, which distributes winenationwide, traces its origin to 1980, when “a group of Auckland businessmen, decrying the lack of quality imported wine to drink, decided to form a consortium to source their own wines”. Today, Vintners is promoting these freshly arrived wines from Europe, including a chardonnay with “Chablis style and quality, but without the hefty price-tag”.
Alba Martin Rias Baixas Albarino 2022
From Galicia, on the Atlantic coast of northwest Spain, this is a punchy albarino, medium-bodied and invigoratingly crisp, with strong, citrusy, spicy, vaguely salty flavours, fresh, vibrant and aromatic. (12.5% alc/vol) $26-$35
★★★★½
Nivarius Rioja Tempranillo Blanco 2022
This distinctive, generous dry white is from a white mutation of tempranillo, the famous red-wine grape of Rioja, in Spain. Grown at high altitude and handled in tanks and French oak barrels, it is full-bodied, fresh and dry, with strong, peachy, citrusy, spicy flavours, full of youthful vigour. (13.5% alc/vol) $25-$28
Drinking well now, this Portuguese rosé is based mostly on touriga nacional, the key grape of port, now often used for table wines. Pale pink, it is medium-bodied and sweet-fruited, with fresh acidity and very good depth of peach, strawberry and spice flavours, dry and smooth. (12.5% alc/vol) $18-$20
★★★★
Domaine Maire Grand Minéral Côtes du Jura Pinot Noir 2021
This perfumed red from the Côtes du Jura was hand-picked and barrel-aged. Ruby hued, it is a moderately youthful, clearly varietal wine, medium-bodied, savoury and supple, with ripe, cherryish, spicy, slightly nutty flavours. (12.5% alc/vol) $33-$37
This good value Portuguese red was blended from touriga nacional and other grapes, handled in stainless steel tanks rather than oak barrels, and closed with a screwcap. It has deep, bright colour and fresh, spicy aromas. Strong and lively on the palate, it has vibrant, red berry and spice flavours, in a slightly syrah-like style. Enjoyable now. (12.5% alc/vol) $18-$20
Wine of the week
Domaine Maire Grand Minéral Côtes du Jura Chardonnay 2021
★★★★½
The cool, elevated Jura region, in eastern France between Burgundy and Switzerland, has limestone soils that yield vigorous chardonnay with a crisp, “mineral” thread. Well worth discovering, this fragrant, medium-bodied wine has good intensity of vibrant, ripe peachy flavours showing considerable complexity and appetising acidity. It’s delicious now. (12.5% alc/vol) $33-$37
