New Zealand: A seemingly endless, untouched and deserted nature, no neighbors far and wide and more sheep than people. New Zealand is not even as big as Italy, but passes through three extremely different climate zones.
Unique like the nature are the wines. These enchant with pure, clear and immediately present flavors. 2200 hours of sunshine, cool nights and a long ripening period provide the unique flavors. A range of soils and climates allow for a variety of wines.
North Island
Auckland-Bay of Plenty and Waikato-Gisborne-Hawke’s Bay-Wairarapa — Gladstone-Martinborough
South Island
Marlborough- Nelson-Canterbury-Waipara Valley-Waitaki Valley-Central Otago
Main grape varieties (WHITE)
Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris
Main grape varieties (RED)
Pinot Noir, Merlot encounter subtropical, cool maritime and continental climates.
Most of the vineyards are located no more than 20 km from the sea, resulting in maritime conditions almost everywhere.
Discover and enjoy unique quality wines from New Zealand.
Experts expect a significant decline in harvests in New Zealand. Vineyard growth was below 1% for the first time since 2016, with a slight increase from 257 to 41,860 hectares. Between 2015 and 2023, the vineyard area grew by 18 percent. The 2022 and 2023 harvests were larger than usual and exceeded 500,000 tons, resulting in 3.6 million hectolitres of wine. A 20–25% decline in the harvest is forecast for 2024, which will cause prices for bulk wine to rise. Sauvignon Blanc from 2023 will become more attractive, and the lifting of EU tariffs from May 2024 could provide additional impetus. The New Zealand Winegrowers expect lower yields in all growing regions except Central Otago, but a high quality vintage thanks to the sunny fall. Despite the slowdown in area growth, New Zealand’s viticulture differs from other countries: Exports reached a new record of 3.16 million hectoliters and NZD 2.4 billion in 2023. The average export price of 4.27 euros continues to make viticulture attractive.
