Get Ready for the Vintage of a Lifetime

New Zealand wines look like they’re about to get even better, according to Forbes.com contributor Larry Olmsted. “Much better. You probably already know Kim Crawford, New Zealand’s famous producer of sauvignon blanc, but now you need to look for 2013 – the vintage of a lifetime. Constellation New Zealand, the parent company of several of New Zealand’s most popular and reliable wines, especially the standout Kim Crawford and Nobilo labels, is predicting big things for 2013, calling it the ‘Vintage of a Lifetime.’ Given that Constellation’s chief winemaker, Darryl Woolley, has been doing his job for more than 30 years – the entire time in which New Zealand wines have garnered a global reputation – this is a claim to be taken seriously. According to Wooley, 2013 was not only New Zealand’s driest growing season in about 70 years, but also benefited the sunniest first three months of the year since 1930. I have long been a big fan of the country’s famously crisp sauvignon blancs, which go so well with food, especially spicy and Asian flavors. Long a top producer, Kim Crawford has become synonymous with top shelf New Zealand sauvignon blanc, and has become almost a default purchase for me, and with the 2103 vintage beginning distribution in this country right now, I’ll soon be purchasing even more.”