New Zealand's wine reputation rests heavily on Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, whose pungent, fruit-forward style redefined the variety internationally, while the country's cool maritime climate has also earned acclaim for elegant Pinot Noir. Sauvignon Blanc alone accounts for roughly 60% of the country's plantings.
Grapes grown here
Sub-regions
Central Otago
Central Otago, on New Zealand's South Island, is the world's southernmost commercial wine region, with a continental climate of cold winters and hot, dry summers unusual for the country. It has become renowned for elegant, cool-climate Pinot Noir, with Riesling also well suited to the conditions.
Hawke's Bay
Hawke's Bay, on New Zealand's North Island, is the country's second-largest wine region and its historic home of full-bodied red wine, thanks to a dry, warm climate that's unusual for New Zealand. Vines were first planted by missionaries in the mid-19th century.
Marlborough
Marlborough, at the northern tip of New Zealand's South Island, produces about three-quarters of the country's wine and is the source of its internationally famous, pungently aromatic Sauvignon Blanc. Its climate of hot sunny days and cool nights extends the ripening season and concentrates flavor.