When I showed this bottle to my friends, the response I got was, “New Zealand Chardonnay? Really?” Yes, really. Though the country is well-defined by its Sauvignon Blanc, it’s by no means the only white wine grape. In fact, in the Canterbury region, where the Mt. Beautiful winery and estate vineyards call home, Chardonnay is the third most-planted grape variety just behind Pinot Noir and, yes, Sauvignon Blanc. So let’s take a taste, shall we, and see what the southern portion of New Zealand has to offer the Chardonnay style spectrum. 
Tag: new world wine
Wairau River 2016 Pinot Noir
Until recently, I never considered Pinot Noir from New Zealand. My first was was the te Pa 2015 Pinot Noir from the Awatere Valley region, south of the Wairau Valley. I then tried the Mt. Beautiful 2015 Pinot Noir, harvested from the southern island’s coastal Canterbury/North Canterbury region. The difference between the two regions is remarkable. The Wairau River 2016 Pinot Noir offers yet a third variation, hailing from the heart of the Wairau Valley where the grapes are grown along the valley floor, influenced by the river’s soils, and the mountains protect the land from harsh weather conditions. Yes, the perfect place for the picky Pinot grape it seems — both on paper and in the glass…
Wairau River 2017 Sauvignon Blanc
It’s New Zealand’s success with Sauvignon Blanc that really gave the tiny country it’s winemaking “gravitas.” Nearly 70% of New Zealand’s vines are planted to the white grape, totaling about 200,000 tons harvested each year. And the Wairau Valley in Marlborough, home to Wairau River’s estate vineyards is no exception. “Its a very popular wine here – our number wine is Sauvignon Blanc followed by Pinot Gris and Rose,” says Lindsay from Wairau River. Let’s find out why… 
Wairau River 2015 Pinot Gris
New Zealand’s grape-growing and winemaking history is a fairly recent one. Indeed, it wasn’t until the 1960s and into the 1970s that New Zealand was put on the winemaking map. And this is when the Rose family of Wairau River took their first steps into the world of wine. Recognizing the potential of the then untapped region of the Wairau Valley, Phil and Chris rose planted their first vines in 1978. They started their career selling grapes to other winemakers, but in 1991 created the Wairau River label and began crafting their own wines. Today the family owns estate vineyards containing some of the oldest vines in Marlborough, which result in a bodied, often textural wine experience — even with their whites.
Mud House 2015 Pinot Noir
I’ve recently been tasting more and more wines from New Zealand (with many more to come in the near future, I assure you), and while I did stumble across a beautiful expression of Pinot Noir from Mt. Beautiful hailing from the North Canterbury region, it seems that many, if not most, wines produced are coming from the Wairau Valley. As Mudhouse Vineyard Manager Nev Gane says, “In Marlborough’s Wairau Valley most vineyard rows run perpendicular to the old braided riverbed deposits […] slight humps and hollows often lead to differing canopy densities, producing great depth and diverse flavors in the fruit.” This depth and diversity takes any of the “wishy-washy” stereotypes out of the region’s Sauvignon Blanc and certainly showcases itself in the Pinot Noir.