New Zealand delivers clean, sustainable Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Noirs to the world.

When you think of New Zealand, do images of Middle-Earth and big hairy hobbit feet come to mind?  Well, think again.  New Zealand has more to show beyond the famed Lord of the Rings landscape.  The "other" Down Under has yielded some fantastic wines of competitive quality, and managed to carve out their own space on many a wine store shelf, independent from Australia.

Sauvignon Blanc is New Zealand's prominent varietal on the shelves at this time.  These wines have gained great popularity over French and California Sauvignon Blanc, due to their racy acidity and grassy zing.  A well-chilled New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in the heat of summer can actually make you forget you're sweating.  New Zealand makes an ideal Sauvignon Blanc for so many.

What you may not be so familiar with is the great quantity of New Zealand's Pinot Noir production.  Some of these Pinots taste so unique to their terroir, and others taste as if they could be from Oregon or Northern California.  Which isn't a bad thing, either way.  They certainly taste like New World wines, but their Pinot Noir making abilities are well up to par with major American competitors.  I would be shocked if we don't see more of these Pinots hitting the U.S. soon. 

Another driving factor is New Zealand's clean, green climate.  Somehow, I think I could actually taste that in their wines.  There seems to be a fresh and crisp quality across the board.  By 2012, the New Zealand Wine industry plans to be 100% sustainable.  This means a lot of regulations such as organic, biodynamic, and environmental certifications, and production under an independently audited sustainability program. 

Although New Zealand is a small nation of islands swinging it solo out in the Pacific, they really are quite lucky.  They receive pure ocean air from all sides, don't deal with extreme temperatures, and are blessed with long, dry autumns which allow for slow and steady grape ripening… truly, a winemaker's dream.

Of the many fantastic wines I had the pleasure to recently try, here are a few that particularly stood out to me:

Sauvignon Blanc:
The Crossings, S.B. 2008, Marlborough, $14.99
Villa Maria Cellar Selection, S.B. 2007, Marlborough, $19.99
Te Awa, S.B. 2007, Hawke's Bay, no price mentioned

Riesling:
Craggy Range Te Muna Road, Riesling 2008, Martinborough, $19.99

Pinot Noir:
Saint Clair, P.N. 2008, Marlborough, $19.00
Allen Scott, P.N. 2007, Marlborough, $22.00
Babich Winemakers, Reserve P.N. 2007, Marlborough, $25.00
Mountford Estate, P.N. 2007, Waipara, no price mentioned