Sauvignon, Pinot Nero e le altre chicche della Nuova ZelandaNew Zealand is a country where viticulture only took off in the 1980s, although the first vines were imported by settlers in the 1800s. Today the country has about 39,000 hectares under vine, producing about 3 million litres of wine, of which 80% is white wine and 78% is Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand's most famous grape variety.
In the northern part of the country, where the climate is warmer, mainly Chardonnay-based wines are produced (most often aged in wood) along with Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In cooler areas, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc are grown more.
Marlborough is New Zealand's most productive and famous wine area, located in the North of the South Island, with 26 thousand hectares, 80% of which are planted to Sauvignon Blanc. The wine obtained from this vine here has recognisable characteristics that are unique in the world: a very intense bouquet composed mainly of tropical fruit and citrus aromas, while the vegetal hints that characterise it in other areas of the world are perceptible in cooler vintages, including the typical hint of tomato leaf. To the north is Hawke's Bay, home of New Zealand's finest Syrah reds, tannic and full-bodied wines. Central Otago, in the heart of the South Island, produces the highest quality and most elegant red wines from Pinot Noir, making it the Burgundy of the southern hemisphere.
