New Zealand Wine: 10 Best Bottles, Regions, Styles

Looking for the best New Zealand wine labels to buy?

While the country may be most renowned for its fruity Sauvignon Blancs and super affordable Pinot Noirs, the land of kiwis has much more to offer to wine lovers. 

With its diverse climate and rich terroir, New Zealand is your ideal wine destination for unique New World red, white, and sparkling styles.

In this article, we’ll explore the top 10 New Zealand wines to buy, the main wine styles and best foods to pair with them. We’ll also discover the prominent New Zealand wine regions and the leading wine producers of the country.

10 Exceptional New Zealand Wines to Buy in 2023

These exceptional New Zealand wines are a must-try for any wine lover:

1. 2018 Cloudy Bay Te Koko Sauvignon Blanc ($64)

Here’s a remarkably crisp and refreshing Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from the Cloudy Bay winery with enchanting tropical fruit and citrus aromas, stone fruit, peach, and grapefruit flavors.

2. 2012 Kusuda Pinot Noir ($247)

This vintage Pinot Noir exudes addictive spice and herb scents on opening. The wine has silky tannins, balanced acidity, and a beautiful palate of raspberry, cherry, and strawberry notes.

3. 2013 Church Road Tom Syrah ($155)

This exquisite Hawkes Bay Syrah wine presents a magnificent bouquet of vanilla, oak, and coffee aromas in a tantalizing palate with black currant flavor.

4. 2016 Vidal Estate Legacy Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot ($143)

Here we have an outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend with an aromatic nose of spice and tobacco. The wine offers balanced acidity, firm tannins, and delectable plum and chocolate notes.

5. 2014 Church Road Tom Chardonnay ($142)

This Chardonnay presents brilliant smoke and toast aromas in a vivid palate of citrus, grapefruit, and toast flavors.

6. 2015 Framingham F-Series Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese ($106)

Here’s an iconic Marlborough Riesling wine with sumptuous pineapple, passionfruit, peach notes, and a refreshing citrus and stone fruit aroma. 

7. 2016 Esk Valley The Terraces ($90)

This is a handcrafted gem from the Esk Valley winery, produced by blending Malbec, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. The elegant, deep red wine is packed with blackberry, cherry flavors, and beautiful cedar aromas. 

8. 2019 Greystone Wines 'Thomas Brothers' Pinot Noir ($74)

Here we have a complex dark red wine from the Greystone winery with a gentle forest floor scent in a hearty palate of plum and chocolate notes.

9. 2013 Quartz Reef Methode Traditionnelle Blanc de Blancs Vintage ($54)

This Central Otago sparkling Chardonnay offers an addictive nose of brioche, nuts, and spices. The traditionally produced bubbly has an impressive body, sharp acidity, and a flavor profile of apricot, citrus, and tropical fruit notes.

10. 2015 Greywacke Pinot Gris ($30)

A complex palate of passionfruit, apples and quince jelly characterize this concentrated, off-dry wine style. It is full-bodied with an eclectic bouquet of melon, pear, and peach aromas.

Popular New Zealand Wine Styles

You’ll find New Zealand wines in the following wine styles:

1. New Zealand Red Wines

The prominent red wines produced in New Zealand are:

• Pinot Noir: New Zealand Pinot Noir combines old-world winemaking techniques with modern innovations that result in a vibrant and restrained wine. The unique terroir and climate of the vineyards provide greater depth and complexity to the wine. 

You can pair this delectable wine with beef, grilled salmon, pork, and duck.

• Syrah: The Syrah wine style from New Zealand has two expressions:

  • The elegant cool terroir wine from the South Island region
  • The savory, Northern Rhone-style wine from warmer wine-growing districts of Northern New Zealand

Syrah works well when served with barbecued meats, beef, roast chicken, and cheeses.

• Cabernet blend: Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Sauvignon are the leading grape varietals used in New Zealand’s red blends. 

The Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend is the most popular and is well-structured with excellent aging potential.

Enjoy the broad spectrum of flavors of this blend with red meats, roast lamb, burgers, portobello mushrooms, and cheese.

2. White New Zealand Wine

The top white wines of New Zealand include:

• Sauvignon Blanc: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is the country’s most famous wine with a distinctive flavor profile. The southern location and maritime climate of New Zealand produce exceptional wines with crisp acidity.

Complement the refreshing notes of a Sauvignon Blanc with green vegetables, oysters, seafood, and Asian cuisine.

• Pinot Gris: New Zealand’s Pinot Gris is the country’s third most popular wine. It boasts of gentle acidity and a fruity palate. It is best enjoyed with seafood, creamy sauces, veal, roast chicken, and foie gras.
• Chardonnay: Inspired by the Burgundy style Chardonnay, New Zealand produces age-worthy delicate expressions of this white wine. The warmer regions like Hawkes Bay have smooth-textured Chardonnays with mineral undertones. 

In contrast, the wines from the cooler southern region are leaner with citrus flavors. 

New Zealand Chardonnay wines pair well with halibut, polenta, grilled chicken, and seafood.

• Riesling: TheRiesling wine style is predominantly produced in New Zealand’s South Island in different expressions ranging from dry to deliciously sweet. 

The varied Riesling styles work great with Asian cuisine, seafood, pasta, mushroom, fish, and chocolate desserts.

3. New Zealand Rose Wines

New Zealand produces light-bodied, balanced, fruity Rose wines in both still and sparkling styles. Most New Zealand Rose is made as a single varietal Pinot Noir or a blend of Pinot Noir, Malbec, Merlot, and Syrah.

They present refreshing acidity and are available in colors ranging from salmon pink to ruby coral. 

These wines are excellent companions to pizza, pasta, steak, salmon, cheese, and charcuterie meats.

4. New Zealand Sparkling Wines

Sparkling wine is produced throughout New Zealand, with the majority made in the Marlborough region. The country is best known for its classic sparkling Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc styles.

The bubbly is made using the Methode Traditionnelle winemaking technique. In this process, the winemaker puts the wine through a secondary fermentation in the bottle to produce delicate bubbles.

Fried chicken, creamy soup, steak, caviar, oysters, and macaroni are the best foods to pair with a flavorful sparkling wine.

The 7 Key New Zealand Wine Regions

The wine regions of New Zealand extend over 700 miles from the subtropical Northland to Central Otago in the south. Most of the vineyards are located in the rain shadow region of the North and South Islands’ mountains.

The primary wine regions are:

1. Marlborough Wine Region

Marlborough produces 77% of New Zealand’s wine and is best known for its signature Sauvignon Blanc. Located in the northeastern corner of the South Island, the region also has substantial Pinot Noir and Chardonnay plantations. 

The area’s lowland valleys have a temperate climate ideal for growing concentrated red and white grape varieties.

2. Hawke’s Bay Wine Region

Hawke’s Bay is New Zealand’s second-largest wine-producing region, specializing in Bordeaux-style red and white blends. 

The predominant grape varieties are Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris.

Besides wine production, the region’s fertile soil and sunny climate are also conducive to growing fruits. 

3. Central Otago Wine Region

Central Otago is a wine region known for its plantations of the Pinot Noir grape variety. It produces both red and Rose style Pinot Noir wines. Before vineyards were planted, the region was historically famous for its apricot and cherry orchards.

4. Wairarapa Wine Region

Wairarapa is located near downtown Wellington on the North Island and has three major sub-regions - Martinborough, Gladstone, and Masterton.

It is a comparatively smaller wine region with just 3% of New Zealand’s vine plantations. The main grape varieties grown are Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Sauvignon Blanc. Recently, the region has also begun producing high-quality dessert wines.

5. Nelson Wine Region

Nelson is located on New Zealand’s South Island, close to Marlborough. It houses one of the top New Zealand winegrowers, the Neudorf vineyard.

The region mainly produces Sauvignon Blanc, closely followed by Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Aromatic Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Gewurztraminer are also grown in smaller plantations in the area.

With its beautiful countryside views, the uncrowded Nelson region is a dream destination for any wine enthusiast.

7. Waitaki Valley Wine Region

The Waitaki Valley is a 60-hectare wine region located in North Otago, on the east coast of the South Island. The principal grape varieties of the area are Pinot Noir, Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay.

It has the longest growing season of all wine regions in the country, courtesy of the temperate summers and long autumns in the valley. The area is home to complex, layered wines with crisp acidity.

Besides these, the other famous wine regions of New Zealand include:

• Gisborne 
• North Canterbury 
• Auckland 
• Northland 
• Waikato 
• Waiheke Island

Who Are The Leading Wine Producers of New Zealand?

The diverse wine regions of New Zealand are home to proficient winemakers who have perfected traditional and modern winemaking practices. The leading wine producers of the country are:

• Brancott Estate, Marlborough
• Church Road, Hawke’s Bay
• Palliser Estate, Martinborough
• Te Mata Estate, Hawke’s Bay
• Stonyridge Vineyard, Waiheke Island
• Mission Estate, Hawke’s Bay
• Rippon Vineyard, Central Otago
• Wairapa Hills, Canterbury
• Neudorf Vineyard, Nelson
• Kim Crawford Wines, Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay

Relish the Perfection of a  New Zealand Wine Today!

New Zealand winegrowers offer you a complex, vibrant, and flavorful take on classic wine styles, especially the celebrated Sauvignon Blanc. Get a hold of a bottle from the list above to charm friends and family with some true southern goodness.

But if you’d rather build a portfolio of investment-grade New Zealand wines, take a look at the Vinovest website. It’s your go-to option to buy, store, and sell authentic fine wines from around the world.