Savvy little secret to success
Ihave acknowledged regularly that Marlborough wineries are the backbone of New Zealand’s wine industry, and there is no doubt sauvignon blanc is the wine variety that has made New Zealand world famous.
Last week I joined fellow Wine Writers of New Zealand members on a visit to Marlborough. We were hosted by Wine Marlborough, and they wanted to show us the depth of the industry and what producers are doing to stay ahead of the game.
Rather than showing us a huge range of current release wines, Wine Marlborough and the producers we visited wanted us to understand the work they are doing, and to taste wines before they are blended into the final product.
Marlborough produces an astounding 80 per cent of all wine made in New Zealand, and the industry contributes some $477 million to the local economy, which it has grown by 300 per cent since 2000. There are approximately 4850 people employed in the wine sector in the region, so it is fair to say the wine industry is the backbone of the Marlborough economy, based primarily on sauvignon blanc.
The risk to the Marlborough economy, therefore, is that consumers get tired of the bright, crisp sauvignon blanc flavours that the world fell in love with.
One winemaker noted that in mature overseas markets, they are already seeing some consumers looking for something different. It is the new and still growing markets that are driving the continued growth of the industry. Another made the comment that ‘‘the big boys are getting bigger, and the chase to the bottom is being won by them – it is the small guys who are starting to do some interesting stuff’’.
So, with this in mind, we were shown some of the interesting things being done with sauvignon blanc, and I learned a lot about the future of this variety.
Some winemakers have recognised the risk of the market wanting something a little different, and are working very hard to evolve sauvignon blanc, making versions that still exhibit classic flavours but are also complex, and in many cases easier to drink than some of those highly acidic versions were are so familiar with.
Wine Marlborough chief executive Marcus Pickens says research to date has been important in identifying the compounds that make Marlborough sauvignon blanc special, and that the New Zealand Winegrowers Research Institute being established in Marlborough will be a game changer when it opens.
Of course, it isn’t just the small producers who have recognised the need to evolve sauvignon blanc. Constellation Wines, the world’s largest wine company, has bottled a sub-regional set of wines, basically taking just 150 bottles of each wine from large tanks before various blends are made for different labels. The purpose is to show customers how different sub-regions produce different characteristics that combine to make the final wines.
Over the two days, the vast majority of wines we tasted were from tanks before they were blended.
I was also encouraged to meet a number of more experienced winemakers who have identified the need to do something a little different.
Brian Bicknell from Mahi Wines used to be the winemaker at Seresin, and the wines he is now making are evolving from classic styles.
Kim Crawford from Loveblock Wines has made a natural wine that has no preservatives, and the only additive is powdered green tea, a natural antioxidant. With his first attempt at making a natural Sauvignon Blanc, Crawford has made a wine that isn’t just drinkable, but is packed with flavour and is simply delicious. He is going to bottle it in 500ml bottles, another small but important innovation.
Spy Valley Envoy Johnson Vineyard Gewurztraminer 2017
This wine was crafted by former Nelsonian Richelle Collier, who is now the winemaker at Spy Valley, and it is a special wine, with about 28g of residual sugar and fresh acidity in the finish to enhance the luscious flavours. Delicious with cheese or by itself as an aperitif.