The distant New Zealand islands are not the most popular destination for Russian tourists. A long flight, expensive air tickets and a significant time difference do not contribute much to the rush demand for tours. But there is something attractive in this distant country that sweeps away all these obstacles in the minds of gourmets - the wine of New Zealand. They are considered one of the best in the world, due to the unique natural conditions, and the mild climate, and the ecological purity of New Zealand vineyards.
History with geography
Mankind owes the appearance of fine and refined varieties of New Zealand wines to S. Marslen, who planted the first vine at the beginning of the 19th century in Kerikeri. Viticulture and winemaking on the islands have gone through many trials since then. Pest epidemics and prohibition, restrictions on the production and sale of New Zealand wine in the country - just a small part of the difficulties that have befallen winemakers. The middle of the twentieth century became a turning point and in the 60s winemaking began to develop by leaps and bounds.
Today New Zealand white wines are among the most deserving in the world table of rankings. Traditional grape varieties in the unique climatic conditions of the islands give distinctive and special wines: Rieslings are more aromatic here, Sauvignon Blanc is louder, and Chardonnay has a persistent nutty aftertaste. The main wine regions are Marlborough on the North Island and Gisborne and Hawk Bay on the South Island. It is here that the routes of New Zealand food and wine tours are laid, during which you can taste the best drinks and get acquainted with the technology of growing and picking berries.
The highlight of the program
Of all New Zealand wines, Sauvignon Blanc is of particular value, according to both oenologists and gourmets. This dry white wine is easily recognizable by its melon-honey tints and special astringency in taste. New Zealand's standard Sauvignon Blanc is still too young to compete with the French, for example, but its potential is undeniably high. Wine made in the Loire Valley in France is undeniably inferior to its New Zealand namesake. In French Sauvignon Blanc, there is not even a hundredth part of the astringency that delights fans of New Zealand drinks.
New Zealand wine classification is not as strict as in European countries. The name on the label certainly indicates the grape variety and the region of origin of the fruit, and the quality of the wine is very simple to determine: the "narrower" the specified region, the better. Therefore, the presence of the name of a particular vineyard on the bottle label is already a guarantee that the drink is worthy.
