Eleven of New Zealand’s Best Wines

Wine writer Wayne de Nicolo examines the wines of his native country – New Zealand – for London’s online culture magazine, The Resident. Home to the southern-most winemaking region in the world, what is it that makes New Zealand wines so special? And what are the bottles and varietals you should be looking out for?

“New Zealand has become known in the UK mainly for producing distinctly fruity, racy and very popular sauvignon blancs and, more recently, for its excellent pinot noirs, pinot gris and some very good cabernets and syrahs,” de Nicolo writes for the site.

“One of the reasons for the rapid evolution of winemaking since the early 1980s is the willingness of New Zealanders to try new ways of doing things – to push the boundaries.”

Included in de Nicolo’s 11 “high flyers” selection are: MiruMiru Sparkling NV, Hunters, Pegasus Bay Bel Canto Riesling 2017, Lake Chalice The Raptor Chardonnay 2018 and the “outstanding”, Wild Earth Pinot Noir 2017.

De Nicolo is a retired south London-based lawyer. According to The Resident, “his Italian father made wine in his shed, which probably inspired [de Nicolo’s] interest in wine. He began writing about wine in 2006 and has visited wineries in several countries.”

Original article by Wayne de Nicolo, The Resident, April 26, 2020.

Photo by Jon Moore.