Sunshine Helps the Zing

Head winemaker at Cloudy Bay winery Tim Heath, 36, explains how New Zealand’s viticultural environment has created its signature “vivid tastes”. The key to understanding the creation of these zingy, tropical and fruity aromas is ripeness. Heath says part of the explanation lies with a comparison with France’s Loire valley. While Marlborough experiences cool nights and mild days similar to those experienced in the Loire, where it really differs is in the number of sunshine hours. “We have 2500 hours of sunshine, compared with 1900 hours in the Loire,” Heath says. “Beyond this we have high levels of UV radiation, which develops flavour precision.”