New Zealand Wines: Oenotourism Guide

The Wine Zealand Project invites you to join us on a journey to meet New Zealand winemakers. Having just arrived on Maori land, the time has come to introduce you to our project (it’s a bit like saying, “I’ll come over for a drink… in New Zealand!”)

Why New Zealand?

• Because New Zealand wine is young, dynamic, and rapidly growing—but above all, its quality is gaining increasing recognition. In fact, many French winemakers have recognized this potential and have set up shop on the other side of the world.
• Because we have complete freedom: we plant whatever we want, wherever we want. We create, we innovate, we experiment.
• Because 94% of our vineyards are certified as sustainable, but above all because we take soil conservation very seriously.
• Because, as a backdrop for wine tourism, there are worse options—just think of the Great Walks, Mordor, giant green mussels, the Te Araroa Trail, Maori culture, rugby, the kauri forests…

And since we were craving adventure, new experiences, meeting new people, breathtaking scenery, and wine… we figured New Zealand was the perfect place for us.

Our first taste 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 and feature a dedicated tasting and reception area. The venues are welcoming and often include a restaurant. The best place to enjoy a New Zealand wine is therefore in its natural setting. We really appreciate this aspect. Each wine tells its own story in the place where it was created.

Speaking of history, we were struck by the detailed descriptions of each bottle on the restaurants’ wine lists (we haven’t tried every restaurant in the country yet). In just a few lines, they explain the wine’s main aromas and what foods they recommend pairing it with. Well, that’s pretty smart…

In short, to get right to the heart of the matter, we found the red wines difficult to grasp. We were very pleasantly surprised by the 2013 Syrahs. It was an excellent vintage that produced very rich Syrahs with beautiful intensity. Otherwise, you have to dig deeper (and spend more) to unearth some surprising finds. In contrast, the white wines are immediately very appealing. They feature very pronounced fruit aromas, completely different from the more mineral-driven wines we’re used to on our continent.

Of course, this is just a first taste; we can’t wait to try the famous Pinot Gris wines of Central Otago, the Bordeaux varieties of Matakana, and (of course) the Sauvignon Blancs of Marlborough.

Our Pick: Brick Bay in New Zealand

Let’s wrap up with a personal favorite. We absolutely loved the experience at Brick Bay (in the Matakana region). Just like the setting, their wines are elegant and exquisitely crafted. We’ll be dedicating a future article to this winery, because the wines are delicious, refined, and you could drink them endlessly… but always in moderation.