Pinot noir paradise

Fair is fair, white grapes rule the roost in New Zealand. Who doesn't know them, those dusty, slightly exotic Sauvignons? Yet the red wines from the island, which lies diagonally on the other side of the world, are also well worth drinking. With Pinot Noir as a big favourite! - TEXT EVELIJN VAN HEUVEN | IMAGE SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Pinot noir paradise

Google 'typical New Zealand' and the first thing you see is 'Kiwis, kiwis and more kiwis'. The fruit? No, a little bird and the symbol of New Zealand. As it turns out, the kiwi fruit is even named after it - and not the other way around as many think - because this little bird looks like the fruit, but with legs and a beak. Anyway, we prefer to talk about another fruit, the grape! And that one is doing well in New Zealand.

Full for Pinot Noir

With the focus on red wine, you can state very black and white that Pinot Noirs come from the South and Bordeaux blends and Syrahs from the North. The proportions are skewed, though. Of the 2022 harvest, 73 per cent was Pinot Noir. Merlot comes a meagre second with 14 per cent, while cabernet sauvignon and syrah dangle further down the list with even much smaller yields. All the way on the other side of the world, then, they know what to do with that burgundy pinot. And that also reflects on our shelves and on our wine lists. Chances are you will reach for a Pinot Noir in the New Zealand corner. We also saw this directly reflected in the entries for this Buying Guide: almost 100 per cent Pinot Noir!

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Curious to find out more about Pinot Noir? You can read about them in the latest WINELIFE Magazine 77. Order individual issues here!

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