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New Zealand wine is more than the grassy, highly acidic Sauvignon Blancs they are so famous for. There is alot of quality wine and importer NZ Wine Navigator, with the help of Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas, has hand-picked some of these wines for the US market. I had the pleasure to meet Cameron Douglas when he was in LA for a lunch with wines from the NZ Wine Navigator portfolio which I wrote about in my column in the Napa Valley Register. Sharing the story below. There is more to New Zealand wine than Sauvignon Blanc and the first few labels that come to mind. Of course, that may be hard to believe when Sauvignon Blanc makes up approximately 84 percent of New Zealand’s exports.
But, New Zealand offers breadth and depth beyond the grassy, citrusy Sauvignon Blancs. An afternoon with Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas demonstrated that as he introduced 10 wineries from throughout New Zealand that represent higher quality wines at competitive prices.
The wines are part of NZ Wine Navigator, America’s New Zealand wine specialist. NZ Wine Navigator was founded by Graham Painter who, during a visit to the U.S., was disappointed by the selection of New Zealand wines available on our retail shelves.
30 August, 2018
This story originally appeared in the Napa Valley Register.
According to Wine Marlborough, 77 percent of New Zealand’s wine production comes from the Marlborough region in the north-eastern corner of New Zealand’s South Island. With commercial plantings beginning in 1973 and the first vintage of Sauvignon Blanc in 1979, Marlborough is a rather young wine region.
However, there are 534 growers, 141 wine companies and more than 59,000 acres of vines planted. The region is awash with wine production and the playing field is rather saturated. But in 2005, two wineries — Crowded House and Catalina Sounds — decided to join on the crowded landscape.
Crowded House was started in 2005 and named aptly for the crowded landscape in Marlborough that they were joining. The wines are made from grapes that showcase the region’s best quality, resulting in wines with vibrant and fresh aromatics, powerful fruit concentration and refreshing acidity.
Catalina Sounds is named after the Catalina flying boats, New Zealand’s famous and largest warbird, made famous in World War II, as well as the nearby majestic Marlborough Sounds. Started 12 years ago, at the same time as Crowded House, the wines of Catalina Sounds are the premium wines with the majority of grapes coming from the Sound of White vineyard in the Waihopai Valley.
30 January, 2018
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