Sauvignon’s getting more interesting

4. Sauvignon on song

The importance of Sauvignon Blanc and Marlborough to New Zealand wine cannot be overstated. The numbers tell their own story. Sauvignon Blanc covers 26,559ha, or 64% of New Zealand’s total 41,603ha of vineyards, and accounts for 80% of the country’s exports. Marlborough is by far the biggest wine region, with its 29,415ha making it almost six times the size of second-placed Hawke’s Bay, which has barely moved from its 4,786ha over the past decade, a period in which Marlborough has added around 6,500ha of vineyards to its total.

While one of the keys to Marlborough Sauvignon’s success has been its consistency, offering consumers a similar level of reassurance and predictability to brands in other sectors, there is plenty of scope for diversity, with producers experimenting with terroir-driven, single-site wines; with barrel and concrete egg fermentation and ageing; with extended lees and skin contact; and with such out-there additions to the winemaking process as tannins extracted from green tea leaves (Loveblock Tee) and oysters (Vandal).

Sparkling Sauvignon is also establishing itself as a distinctive genre of fruit-driven fizz that is defined on its own terms rather than by its resemblance to Champagne and other bottle-fermented sparkling wines.

with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir especially punching above their weight in terms of places, is a good illustration of the independent sector’s faith in New Zealand’s “other” varieties.

With 5,807ha, Pinot Noir is New Zealand’s second-most-planted variety overall, and it remains the clear leader of New Zealand red plantings, ahead of Merlot with 1,077ha, Syrah (444ha) and Cabernet Sauvignon (207ha). For whites, Chardonnay (3,187ha) is just ahead of Pinot Gris (2,809ha) with Riesling (619ha) some way back in fourth. Distinctive Kiwi versions of all these varieties have their followings in UK indies. But some of the most promising New Zealand wines The Wine Merchant team has tasted over the past year are produced from grape varieties that are yet to break into the Top 15 most-planted varieties: Albariño, Grüner Veltliner, Cabernet Franc and Gamay all look well-suited to both New Zealand’s growing conditions and modern consumer preferences.

5. Sustaining the sustainability message

When you ask UK suppliers to pick out which winemaking country is taking sustainability most seriously, most will include New Zealand at or near the top of their list.

The country’s reputation is partly based on being an early adopter: its Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand certification initiative was the first of its kind when it was launched in 1996. Signatories are required to follow a strict auditing and reporting regime, which collates information on vineyard and winery practices, including an “annual spray diary” detailing all the agrichemical applications used that year.

Some 96% of the total New Zealand vineyard is now managed in accordance with the scheme, which also provides personalised greenhouse gas reports for all its members, as the industry closes in on its target to be carbon neutral by 2050. Organic production also growing fast in New Zealand, with 10% of New Zealand wineries are now certified organic or biodynamic.

5. Varietal plenitude

The New Zealand that consumers get to see in UK independents is very different to the overwhelmingly Sauvignon-dominated one they find in supermarkets. Of course, Sauvignon remains important outside the multiples. But the balance of styles given places in The Wine Merchant New Zealand Top 50 by our panel of independent wine merchant judges (see last month’s supplement),

The annual sustainability report issued by SWNZ shows the industry still has a long way to go on a number of measures, from water use and carbon footprint, to waste and soil health. Crucially, however, and unlike many of their peers in other wine-producing countries, the transparent approach demanded by SWNZ means we are able to see just how far they have to go.

All of which means that, while the industry’s environmental commitments are seen as an important part of maintaining the clean, green New Zealand wine brand, it would be wrong to dismiss them as greenwashing. When it comes to sustainability, collectively and individually New Zealand wine producers are clearly heading in the right direction.

How’s life at Hunter’s? It’s been growing ... does it still feel like a family business?

Ed: Jane is still the owner and managing director of the winery, 40+ years on. We are one, if not the only, original winery from the 1980s in Marlborough to still be owned by the same family. That is something we are fiercely proud of as it seems every winery is tagged as “familyowned” these days.

Absolutely it feels like a family business. I have my office sandwiched between Jane (Aunty Jane) and Peter Mac (Dad). We are constantly calling down the hall to each other to ask a question or comment on something.

James is the head winemaker but also has a fair bit to do with the vineyards. I would say that is where he finds the most satisfaction, growing quality grapes to make into quality wine.

How would you say things have changed recently in terms of the way you make wines and the way they taste?

James: We are constantly tweaking our wines to make them more appealing in market and to adapt to changes in consumer trends. This is easy to do in Marlborough as we do not have the heritage of other wine regions. We like to spend a lot of time with the people tasting and talking about our wines. In recent years, we have made changes to our wines to be more fruit forward, softer and more approachable at a younger age.

Does Marlborough still seem like a young region? Are people like yourselves still innovating and experimenting?

Ed: For us it certainly still feels young. Innovation and experimentation are still high on everyone’s agenda. Due to the sheer volume of Sauvignon Blanc produced in the region today, wineries really need to battle to make a product that stands

Hunter’s Sauvignon Blanc 2022

The nose shows passion fruit and citrus characters along with grapefruit and green herbs. Dry and saline, the lively palate has a creamy texture, dense complex fruit and a hint of flint.

out from the competition. Other than traditional Sauvignon Blanc, everyone is always looking for the next big thing, whether that be canned wine, or low/no alcohol wine.

We are particularly proud of our Offshoot Pet Nat Sauvignon Blanc, which has gone from strength to strength since it was first produced in 2018. Our 30-plus years of experience making MiruMiru™ Methode sparkling wine lent itself well to the production of the Pet Nat style.

Which varieties are most exciting at the moment?

James: Sauvignon Blanc is the variety that brings me the most joy. It is exciting to see how far we can push the quality of this variety. At Hunter’s we put a lot of emphasis on growing good grapes. We do extra work in the vineyards such as shoot thinning, cover cropping and not using herbicides to enhance the quality of the final product.

I am also excited by Pinot Noir. The Hunter’s Pinot Noir seems to get better with every vintage as we secure better vineyards and learn better viticultural techniques.

Tell us about the Offshoot project and what it’s all about.

Ed: We always wanted a label that we could produce wines under that were a bit different from our estate Hunter’s range. We looked at making a reserve label, Hunter’s Reserve Chardonnay etc, but it has been done by so many other wineries. The Offshoot label allows us to make wines that aren’t necessarily marketed as a “level above” the Hunter’s range. More of a step to the left. This was particularly helpful with the Pet Nat wines as the playful nature of the Offshoot packaging lends itself well to the style of the wines.

What does Hunter’s hope to achieve in

Macdonald Hunter’s Marlborough

Hunter’s is the dream of Ernie and Jane Hunter, a fiercely independent, family-owned winery established in Marlborough over 30 years ago.

“Hunter’s goes from strength to strength … it is a winery of world standing,and certainly among the top dozen in Australasia”

James Halliday Wine Companion

Imported by Jeroboams Trade jeroboamstrade.co.uk the next five or 10 years?

Ed: We want to take the mantle as New Zealand’s best Sauvignon Blanc producer. Very few wineries in Marlborough are focused on being the best, only the biggest.

Hunter’s Offshoot PetNat 2022

Classic Sauvignon Blanc characters are expressed on the nose that is complemented by beautiful apple and ripe citrus aromas. Lightly sparkling, the palate is vibrant and fresh with passion fruit and pear notes.

Hunter’s Chardonnay 2020

This has a complex, gun-flint nose with beautiful flavours of white peach and citrus undertones. The palate shows ripe orchard fruit, some vanilla notes and linear acidity, leading into a complex and lengthy finish

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It’s fair to say Joe Wadsack is enthusiastic about the wines of Victoria. Over a three-hour lunch, he barely stops to draw breath as he tells stories about his adventures in the state and the winemakers he so admires.

Whether it’s Yarra Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Sangiovese and Arneis from King Valley or the legendary Muscat of Rutherglen – or indeed any of the other varieties and regions that make cameo appearances – Wadsack seems to have an anecdote to hand.

“You can talk about Victoria very successfully, either region by region or variety by variety,” he says. He proceeds to do a bit of both, but we also hear tales of the characters whose sometimes maverick beliefs have made modern Victoria the success story it is today.

“If you want to find wines that are sitespecific, characterful and very food friendly and you know will go with certain dishes ... if you want to buy wines made in a finewine, region-by-region style, Victoria is the first place you’d look,” he says. “Show wines; medal-winning wines. Wines we used to drink in this country on their own as a bit of a treat.

“For people that understand European fine dining, they’re more inclined to buy wine from Victoria than any other state because those wines are made with the same philosophy.

“Almost everyone who’s there is like an artisanal winemaker in France, and they’re just making the product they want to make. They just want to know, if they build it, will people come? With corporate winemaking, the first conversation is with the accountant – and that doesn’t apply very often in Victoria.