Great Whites

US sommelier Jim Clarke explores the exciting developments in NZ white aromatic wines in an article for the San Francisco Chronicle. NZ’s cool climate is proving ideal for growing the grapes made famous by France’s Alsace region. Plantings of Riesling and Gewurztraminer in NZ have tripled in the past 10 years, and Pinot Gris plantings are more than 16 times what they were in 1998. “Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is a craze, and eventually, people are going to get tired of it,” says Gregg Phillips, a buyer for the Southern Hemisphere Wine Centre in Huntington Beach, California. “I think Pinot Gris will be their next cash cow.” Seresin Estate winemaker Clive Dougall agrees. “Of all the Alsatian varieties, New Zealand Pinot Gris has the potential to make the greatest impact on the world scene.”