Red Red WIne

OK, lets talk about New Zealand wine (finally). Everyone knows that New Zealand makes excellent Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays. Go to your local supermarket in the States and you’ll see heaps of these Kiwi wines on the shelves. Personally, I’m not much of a white wine drinker and I absolutely loathe buttery-oaky Chardonnay. But I do like the sweeter whites and there are some delicious Rieslings, Gewürztraminers, and late harvest wines here. I plan on drinking lots of them, of course.

I can’t really say the same for New Zealand reds, yet. Pinot Noir is made and celebrated around the South Island, but so far I haven’t found any that I like. The Pinots I’ve had have been really dry and minerally. This is probably due to the fact that I can’t afford the good Pinots….

I tend to favor big reds, like juicy Zinfandels, smoky Merlots, and bold Cabernets. However, Zinfandel is a California thing and the reds I buy here are from Australia. With a warmer climate, Australian reds tend to be very similar to California reds. I did find a Ravenswood Zinfandel in a wine merchant shop here in Dunedin. Of course I didn’t buy it, it was triple the price you would pay in the U.S. and I’m trying to expand my wine horizons while I’m here.

Although, choosing a wine from the crowded shelves at the market can be a bit overwhelming. There are so many wines from New Zealand and Australia and I don’t recognize any of them! Actually, that’s not true. I know Yellow Tail quite well, and yes, I have bought it here in a state of petrifying panic at having to quickly choose a bottle from so many unfamiliar and unheard of wineries. But this only happens if my partner is shopping with me……

In the face of such adversity, I have adopted a system of choosing a bottle according to its label (after the price of course). Kiwis and Aussies are not stuffy or pretentious about their label art and there are some cool labels to be found here! So far my method has met with reasonable success. I am hoping to get out to some wineries in the next month for tastings so I can find some truly great New Zealand wines.