Discover New Zealand wines - World Wine Tourism

The Wine Zealand Project is taking you along for the ride to meet New Zealand winemakers. Freshly arrived in Maori country, it's time to introduce you to our project (it's a bit like "I'll come have a drink at your place... in New Zealand!") and our first impressions of these New World wines . Let's go!

Why New Zealand?

Because New Zealand wine is young, dynamic, growing rapidly, but above all, of increasingly acclaimed quality. In fact, many French winemakers have recognized this and have set up shop on the other side of the world.
Because we enjoy total freedom: we plant what we want where we want. We create, we innovate, we experiment.
Because 94% of vineyard land is certified for sustainable development, but above all because respect for the soil is not a subject that is taken lightly.
Because, as a setting for wine tourism, there are worse places to go, let's just mention the great walks, Mordor, giant green mussels, the Te Araroa trail, Maori culture, rugby, Kauri forests…

And since we were thirsty for adventures, discoveries, encounters, breathtaking landscapes and wines… we thought New Zealand was made for us.

Our first sips of New Zealand wine: Auckland

Wine is meant to be a shared experience. All the wineries we visited are open to the public every day, with a proper tasting/welcoming area. The places are welcoming, often with an attached restaurant. The best place to appreciate a New Zealand wine is therefore in its natural environment. We really like this aspect. Each wine tells its own story within its place of origin.

Speaking of history, we were struck by the systematic description of each bottle on restaurant wine lists (we haven't visited every restaurant in the country yet). They explain its main aromas in a few lines and what it's recommended to pair with it. Pretty clever, right?

In short, to get to the heart of the matter, the red wines seemed difficult to grasp. We were very pleasantly surprised by the 2013 Syrahs. An excellent year that allowed for the production of very rich and intensely flavored Syrahs. Otherwise, you have to dig deeper (and spend more) to unearth truly surprising wines. Conversely, the white wines are immediately very appealing. They offer very pronounced fruit aromas, completely different from the more mineral wines we're used to on our continent.

Of course this is a first approach, we look forward to discovering the famous Pinot Gris of Central Otago, the Bordeaux grape varieties of Matakana or (and of course) the Sauvignon Blancs of Marlborough.

My favorite: Brick Bay in New Zealand

Let's talk about our favorite wine to finish. We absolutely loved the experience offered by Brick Bay (in the Matakana region). Like the place itself, their wines are elegant and exquisitely crafted. We'll be dedicating a future article to this estate, because it's delicious, refined, and incredibly drinkable… but always in moderation.

Wine Zealand Project (for Les Grappes )

Pourquoi nous faire confiance ?

Depuis 2014, chez Les Grappes, nous partons à la rencontre de vignerons passionnés partout en France pour dénicher des vins authentiques, vivants et pleins d'histoire. En travaillant directement avec plus de 500 vignerons, nous sélectionnons des cuvées que nous aimons vraiment et que nous avons envie de vous faire découvrir.

Ce blog est le prolongement de cette aventure. On y partage nos découvertes, nos conseils, nos coups de cœur, nos meilleurs accords mets-vins, des idées de dégustation et tout ce qui nous anime au quotidien autour du vin.

L'objectif est simple : vous aider à choisir des bouteilles qui vous ressemblent et à prendre encore plus de plaisir à les déguster.