New Zealand

The winemaking history of New Zealand boasts a tradition of over 200 years. Following the English colonization of the "Land of the Maori", the first New Zealand vine was planted by the Anglican missionary Reverend Samuel Marsden in 1819. We do not know if this vine ever produced wine, but it is certain that a few years later, in 1836, James Busby planted a vineyard in Waiangi, which allowed the distribution of wine to English troops, who were initially faithful to their traditional drink, beer.
The winemaking peak occurred around 1890, when Romeo Bragato introduced, for the first time, the concept of zoning, significantly increasing the percentage of New Zealand wine consumers. A few years later misfortunes such as the arrival of phylloxera and World War II followed, which reduced wine imports until complete prohibitionism.

The first vineyard of European vines, which replaced the Franco-American varieties such as Isabella, was planted in the famous Marlborough Bay in 1973. In just over 10 years, vine cultivation experienced significant growth, leading to overproduction that ended only through massive government intervention.

Consisting of two islands, New Zealand boasts 15 wine regions: 9 on the North Island and 6 on the South Island. From Auckland to Gisborne, geodiversity, biodiversity, and the thermal range of the climate and soil allow the production of high-quality wines. Among the most suited regions, the primacy belongs to Marlborough, located in the northernmost part of the South Island, the "realm of Sauvignon" and ideal habitat for Merlot, Riesling, and Pinot Noir as well.

Talking about New Zealand wines means talking about Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. Starting from the 1980s, this island nation gained international recognition from critics for producing the “best Sauvignon Blanc in the world", becoming a reference point for wines made from this grape variety.

In the same extraordinary Marlborough landscape stands the renowned company Cloudy Bay, which, since 1985, has contributed to making New Zealand one of the most important wine regions of the "New World". Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir best express the elegance in the estate's production, prioritizing care, attention, and protection of environmental impact.
Among the most widespread New Zealand whites, we find creamy Chardonnays, easy-drinking wines, and fresh wines with intriguing aromas like Kim Crawford's Sauvignon Blanc.

The future of this land is played by the elegant Pinot Noir, a grape difficult to work with and extremely demanding in terms of terroir.