# Have you ever had New Zealand wine? Your comments are requested! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 14, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-new-zealand-wine-your-comments-are-requested/621930 "2012-05-14T22:16:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jaguars](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaguars/32/5879_2.png) [@Jaguars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaguars)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-new-zealand-wine-your-comments-are-requested/621930/1 "2012-05-14T22:16:52Z")
This is something I have been curious about for a while, even though I don’t know the first thing about wines. Over the last decade or so (from my perspective, anyway) it seems like NZ wines went from mediocre to starting to be admired by the local comentators, and occasionally they even rate them over wines from well known long established wine regions in Europe. This makes me pretty suspicious, and I wonder if it is a result of inward looking media, or maybe because those commentators have developed a preference for familiar products. So anyway, I’d love to hear of your experiences, and I promise I won’t get offended if our wines are actually palate disolving methalyted spirits. 😃 Please include where you are from, and note Australian wines are not NZ wines! (Comparison between the two is acceptable) ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-new-zealand-wine-your-comments-are-requested/621930/2 "2012-05-14T22:37:20Z")
There is nothing to be suspicious about, New Zealand wines are world renowned and have been for many years. Their Sauvignon Blancs are some of the finest anywhere. The very best are monstrously expensive and drop-dead wonderful. Temperate, new-world climate and immigrant wine makers who care deeply about their craft mean that you get a very high standard of wine. One of my most memorable meals in New Zealand was a dozen fresh oysters and chilled bottle of Nautilus s. blanc. overlooking the bay in Russell, N. Island. ---
**Author:** ![Jaguars](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaguars/32/5879_2.png) [@Jaguars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaguars)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-new-zealand-wine-your-comments-are-requested/621930/3 "2012-05-14T22:51:50Z")
Oh wow, colour me surprised! It just shows how hard it can be to see what the world thinks of your country when all you have is the local media. What are the best known NZ wines? ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-new-zealand-wine-your-comments-are-requested/621930/4 "2012-05-15T00:13:31Z")
I’m far from a wine expert, but I’ve enjoyed the odd bottle of Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc (or is it Chardonnay? It’s been a while…), which tends to be on the mid-to-high price shelves in the supermarket. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-new-zealand-wine-your-comments-are-requested/621930/5 "2012-05-15T00:15:56Z")
We got a New Zealand ice wine as a wedding gift, and it is one of the best wines I have _ever_ tasted. I wish I’d kept the bottle now, because I have no idea what the name of it was. ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-new-zealand-wine-your-comments-are-requested/621930/6 "2012-05-15T01:01:50Z")
Spy Valley Pinot Gris or Spy Valley Sav Blanc are my fav NZ wines. Not drop dead expensive but not cheap (maybe $25-30AUD per bottle.) Do love, though, especially the Pinot. Oyster Bay Sav Blanc is a reliable, good, cheap standby wine (I’m in AU, it might be more expensive overseas but here it’s pretty cheap, sub $20 per bottle.) I don’t drink chardonay or riesling, so I can’t comment on those (other than generally speaking, yuck!) We tend to have at least one bottle of wine per Saturday night, sometimes another bottle or two through the week, I’d say about a quarter of these are of NZ origin, the rest AU with the occasional Spanish or Italian wine thrown in. The two above stand out. Our NZ choices are more likely to be white than red, but I don’t know if that’s just what’s available. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-new-zealand-wine-your-comments-are-requested/621930/7 "2012-05-15T01:05:24Z")
The great thing about NZ SB is you can order whatever’s on the winelist and it will be at least OK - I’ve never had a \*bad \*one. My current favourite, almost regardless of price, is [Catalina Sounds](http://www.catalinasounds.co.nz/). The above-mentioned Oyster Bay is good to. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-new-zealand-wine-your-comments-are-requested/621930/8 "2012-05-15T01:20:06Z")
[Cloudy Bay](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloudy_Bay_Vineyards) has been consistently recognized as one of the top NZ wineries. Two ex-Cloudy Bay workers went off and started [Dog Point](http://www.dogpoint.co.nz/) which I find to be equally as good and a good deal cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-new-zealand-wine-your-comments-are-requested/621930/9 "2012-05-15T02:07:29Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > The great thing about NZ SB is you can order whatever’s on the winelist and it will be at least OK - I’ve never had a \*bad \*one. Agreed. I’m not a big wine drinker and don’t have much of a palate for it beyond knowing whether I could have another glass or not. That said, I have always found any NZ sav blanc to be very quaffable. If I need to buy a bottle of wine I just get an NZ SB for around 15 dollars and I know I won’t be disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-new-zealand-wine-your-comments-are-requested/621930/10 "2012-05-15T02:16:32Z")
The local (Hawke’s Bay) reds are very palatable, too. Not much of a drinker either, but adding balance to all the Savs and Chards. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-new-zealand-wine-your-comments-are-requested/621930/11 "2012-05-15T02:17:35Z")
Savignon Blancs from the [Marlborough Valley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlborough_Region) are world-renowned. I particularly like Cloudy Bay. You can really taste the flint. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-new-zealand-wine-your-comments-are-requested/621930/12 "2012-05-15T11:10:24Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Savignon Blancs from the [Marlborough Valley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlborough_Region) are world-renowned. I particularly like Cloudy Bay. You can really taste the flint. This. Villa Maria makes nice ones as well. ---
**Author:** ![velveeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/13edae/32.png) [@velveeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velveeta)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-new-zealand-wine-your-comments-are-requested/621930/13 "2012-05-15T11:48:01Z")
Wild Rock Sauvignon Blanc is one of my favorites, and I usually dislike Sauvignon Blanc. It was under $15 last time I checked. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-new-zealand-wine-your-comments-are-requested/621930/14 "2012-05-15T12:49:39Z")
NZ wines - particularly Sauv Blanc - very highly regarded in the UK. The Old World has long lost its dominance in the quality wine stakes. The French have been fretting about this for decades (as they should. Heck, a [_British_ sparkling wine beat the champagne region](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1246769/Sparkling-performance-British-fizzy-wine-beats-worlds-champagne-makers-named-best-bubbly-planet.html) not long ago). ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-new-zealand-wine-your-comments-are-requested/621930/15 "2012-05-15T12:54:09Z")
I like Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc. They have a rose wine I like, too. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-new-zealand-wine-your-comments-are-requested/621930/16 "2012-05-15T14:35:55Z")
Nobilo Sauv Blanc is my fave. Love love love it. So grapefruity and delicious. Reminds me - I need to buy some more, stat. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-new-zealand-wine-your-comments-are-requested/621930/17 "2012-05-15T14:38:49Z")
I wish I could have some New Zealand wine, right now. ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-new-zealand-wine-your-comments-are-requested/621930/18 "2012-05-15T15:12:28Z")
Whitehaven ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-new-zealand-wine-your-comments-are-requested/621930/19 "2012-05-15T15:50:45Z")
Another for Oyster Bay Sauv Blanc. It’s my house wine. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-new-zealand-wine-your-comments-are-requested/621930/20 "2012-05-15T16:33:30Z")
I’ve liked NZ Sauvignon Blancs, Chardonnays, and Rieslings. Other producers I’ve liked besides those already mentioned include [Millton Vineyards and Winery](http://millton.co.nz), [Brancott Estate Wines](http://www.brancottestate.com) and [Kim Crawford Wines](http://www.kimcrawfordwines.co.nz/). Cloudy Bay and [Daniel Schuster](http://www.southernwines.com/vineyard.cfm?preview=381) are all right, but pricey. Another vote for Villa Maria, and Nautilus makes a tasty Sav. Blanc too. The Opou Riesling from Millton is very nice, and quite Alsatian in its flavors. I’ve found NZ white wines to often provide very good value and to be varietally correct more often than not. The reds, OTOH, I’ve not had great experiences with, though Dog Point’s Pinot Noir isn’t half bad. I haven’t found the quality to go with the prices for the reds, though YMMV. [Martinborough Vineyard](http://www.martinborough-vineyard.co.nz/) is [justly proud](http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/2011/03/80_wine_beats_5000_wine_in_bli.php) of their Pinot Noirs. I’ve not had either their Pinot, nor the DRC La Tache it “beat”, but I’d think among a panel who knew what they were doing, it’d be pretty easy to distinguish the two. So it goes in the world of blind tasting. Hell of a tasting, [where you’re comparing 20 wines](http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/Top%2020%20Pinot%20Noir%20Results2.pdf), one of them 1990 DRC La Tache. Lignier _Clos de La Roche_ and Marcassin _Marcassin_ aren’t too shabby either.