Most Chardonnays come from Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay, or Gisborne. The ocean’s cooling effect in these areas doesn’t allow the fruit flavors in New Zealand’s Chardonnays to get too tropical. Even in fuller-bodied styles with marked oak influence, the mouth-watering acidity will keep you reaching for your glass. White peach, lemon zest, and aged cheese flavors make it a perfect food wine. Wondering where to get started? Look for the Chardonnays from Kumeu River Wines in Auckland. If you enjoy Pinot Noirs from the Willamette Valley in Oregon or California’s Sonoma County, you should seek out Pinot Noir from New Zealand. In fact, there is a huge cultural exchange within these regions. Because of the alternating seasons, it is very common to hear of winery interns traveling across the Pacific to work two harvests a year. This extends to some of the best in the business—Ted Lemon of Sonoma’s famed Littorai also makes wine at Burn Cottage in Central Otago, for example.
Styles vary across the country, so it’s a bit hard to make generalizations, but most NZ producers try to embrace the balance that their climate affords them. New Zealand pinots don’t have the weight of warmer climates, but they don’t quite have the earthy mushroom notes of Burgundy either. Most NZ Pinots have a splash of black cherry or strawberry flavor, complemented with violet and cloves.
