Reviews

Red Wine: New Zealand vs. Australia

By Benjamin Quigan

In my profession I often find myself having the same conversation across the bar with patrons. It will generally start with an Australian guest making the statement, “New Zealand can’t make good red wine”.

Though they will reluctantly admit New Zealand produces amongst the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world, more often than not the conversation ends with, “you just can’t do reds like us, so you shouldn’t bother”.

This statement never surprises me. But during a recent conversation, it got me thinking...Rivalry between New Zealand and our neighbours across the ditch is common in sport – both the players and the fans – but in my opinion, the same can be said for wine. Especially red wine.

Australia’s warm climate produces some great full-bodied red wine – in particular Shiraz. Few will dispute that Australia can produce outstanding Shiraz. It is the most planted grape in all of Australia and its most successful.

The most notable Shiraz regions are

Barossa Valley in South Australia - a full-bodied, ripe Shiraz.
Coonawarra in South Australia – a warmer, spicy Shiraz
Hunter Valley in New South Wales – a warm, earthy Shiraz
Clare Valley in South Australia – a strong, aromatic Shiraz
McLaren Vale in South Australia – a dark, peppery, chocolate Shiraz

The most popular winemakers in Australian Shiraz would have to be Penfolds. The Penfolds Grange is, in my opinion, Australia’s best red wine. It is a blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Bottles of the grange are highly prized by wine collectors and bottles will often sell for thousands of dollars or more. Of course, you don’t need to spend anywhere near that to enjoy a Penfolds Shiraz. There is a range of different bins, ranging in price from around $15.

So what about New Zealand?

Early in New Zealand’s wine history the low annual sunshine discouraged the planting of many red varieties.

However our climate and soil is great for one grape in particular – Pinot Noir – a fussy grape, which is difficult to grow for many reasons. The problem with many countries attempting Pinot Noir is that the climate is too warm, resulting in over ripe grapes. But if the site is too cold the result will be under-ripe grapes. It’s a difficult balance.

Pinot Noir is the most widely plated red variety in New Zealand and our Pinots rival the best in the world.

The most notable Pinot Noir regions are:

Central Otago
Martinborough
Marlborough (to a lesser extent)

For a cheaper alternative, try the Te Tera Pinot Noir - the second label to the Martinborough vineyard.

So to revisit the Australian, “you can’t do reds like us so you shouldn’t bother”. In my opinion, it is partly true - we cannot. We don’t have the climate, meaning our reds will never be as bold and intense as our neighbours.

However not all reds need to be so bold. New Zealand Pinots can be stunning and world class - just like an Australian Shiraz.

Why not try one of these New Zealand Pinot Noirs