NZ PRODUCERS JOIN ‘LA PLACE’ LIST

Steeped in tradition since the 17th century, buying great wines directly from the Bordelais was basically impossible; it had to be through a distribution network called La Place de Bordeaux. This way wines could find their way into markets around the world and be available for purchase by consumers. A Bordeaux producer would first sell its wine to a wholesaler using a courtier (a broker) who would in turn on-sell to fine wine merchants who then retail to consumers. All the entities in this chain clip the ticket along the way and everybody is happy. Recently, non-Bordeaux wines have made their way onto the La Place list, beginning with Almaviva (from Chile) and Opus One (from the US) both with specific French connections. In exciting news, two New Zealand producers have joined the list with Craggy Range’s Le Sol Syrah 2020 (Hawke’s Bay) and Te Muna Road Pinot Noir 2020 (Wairarapa); and Destiny Bay’s Magna Praemia 2019 from Waiheke Island, Auckland.