If (or is the word whenever) I ever get flak for my columns, most of it would be for my choice of titles, which are unimaginative and cheesier than shoddy pick-up lines. And wait, this is just in?they make wine even more boring, something that was considered impossible even by the most hard-lined of critics! But I had a lot of reasons behind the title. Two reasons actually. Here?s the first one.
New Zealand has done what no other country could do: displace the myth that only France makes Sauvignon Blanc. Now don?t get me wrong here. France does NOT solely supply SB for the world palate and nor does New Zealand alone rival them in terms of quality. I think North Eastern Italy and Austria are equal contenders. But the Kiwi version was able to garner enough attention and turn a few worthy heads at the right time and very soon it was the new flavour.
For one it was stark different. The Kiwi style confirmed the lack of fruit in the French versions (even the prized ones from the areas of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fum?) which they compensated in their versions with enough fruitiness to fill an orchard, alongside vivacious acidity that could instantaneously turn blue litmus red! The wines were aggressive and taunting, but mostly they were eye-catching, or more correctly, palate-grabbing!
Think of it as in the art world; one form of art exists and then another more forward interpretation comes along and if it can find enough nods, it becomes the new established style. Just like Dadaism soon gave way to Surrealism, very soon France was being seconded to New Zealand. And the fact that they are boutique in size (NZ?s vineyards total no more than 22,600 hectares which are still smaller than Champagne?s 32,000 ha, and that?s only 3% of France?s vineyards!) makes them ever more precious a commodity.
New Zealand has a lot else going for it. Three grape (SB, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) varieties make up about 70% of the crop, which again becomes a national strength, a kind of dependence and pride that no other country has, or can afford. The proverbial ?putting all your eggs in one basket? scare. You see, SB accounts for about 34% of their vineyard crop and 72% of their exports. And this can be dangerous for a wine-producing nation, where 55% of the produce is destined for exports. What if the consumer trend shifts from SB or Chardonnay to another grape like, say, Pinot Grigio? Wait-a-minute, that?s exactly what is happening!
Their vineyards fall in the same latitudinal zone as Bordeaux in France to La Mancha in Spain in the northern hemisphere. Viticulturally speaking, this is the ideal climate zone for growing grapes. So one thing they do manage to have is good Terroir. Not just SB, even Chardonnay from here is good. Pinot Noir, their red star is already gaining tremendous popularity and acceptance.
Next, because they are not a very old winemaking industry (50 years, give or take a few) they have not had the same problems as other countries did. They had the advantage of being able to benefit from the information that already existed on the subject. The travel brought the culture and with agriculture income becoming an important national component, winemaking received much impetus.
Being English speaking must have helped because they have managed to create an image and a reputation for regions like (among others) Nelson, Martinborough, Hawke?s Bay, Waipara, Waiheke Island and the iconic SB area, Marlborough. Each of these regions has diverse soils and different climactic conditions and they have all adapted grapes to suit the same but if you ask me, I don’t think they have such extremely individualised regional styles; the difference is more on account of the winemaker and the vintage. Cool nights are a fairly common Kiwi advantage which makes for crop rich in acidity, something that is essential for white winemaking.
Other grapes like the Riesling, M?ller Thurgau, Gewurztraminer, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Blanc too have been planted and with much success but with big superstar sister SB with the designer sunglasses around, and then the next-in-line Chardonnay as another obstacle to celebrity-dom, they don’t really get much attention. Sparkling wines too have been made but the whole effort seems to desperately cry out for, please excuse the pun, new zeal!
And now for my second and definitely shorter reason. New Zealand needs to reinvent itself. Somewhere people are beginning to not entirely enjoy their styles of whites and while it may have established them, they will need to search deeper and further before they can find their next great vision. They have to look beyond the cat?s pee and the asparagus and artichoke before they know what will next establish and reinstate their wine repute. And it won?t be just a tiny add-on like oak-ageing the Sauvignon Blanc that will have us fooled for long enough to not realise. And personally speaking, I recently tasted some Sauvignon Blanc from Austria which held on to the fruitiness and even had the requisite acidity but without the austere dryness or aggressiveness that is so typical of most NZ SB. In fact, I may be a minority when I say that I like them but wouldn?t exactly kill for them. Maybe it?s something to do with my palate as in I just don’t have what it takes to be discerning enough or maybe I just don’t know how to load a gun…
Mind you they have been the pioneers of the screw cap movement and also champion the cause of environment preservation alongside viticulture (SWNZ?Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand programme). But I think they will have to find their dazzle-me-dead proposition (DDP), which for me is more important than a USP. A DDP is much like a USP but with more sustainability and of course, sass! I do not want to come across as a perpetually dissatisfied one; I am not trying to stand up against what the world?s most established critics have to say about the wines of New Zealand. I am merely denying myself the current constant goodness so that I may live a little longer in hope. Hoping that the surprise element is still there and that tomorrow when we all wake up, we will have something new and even more amazing to look forward to in our glasses.
?The writer is a sommelier