In Europe vines tend to planted on poor soils, so yields are low and the grapes can ripen fairly well despite the high acidity, but New Zealand's soils can be very fertile so New Zealanders have had to devise ways of manipulating their vines, stripping leaves, and making every ray of sunshine contribute towards the ripening process. This crispness, sometimes piercing and a characteristic of New Zealand reds as well as whites, is a feature markedly lacking in the great majority of New World wines, including most of those still made in Australia, which is why a number of Australian producers buy wine and even grapes from New Zealand (especially Sauvignon Blanc and ingredients for sparkling wine blends). New Zealand wines combine the well-preserved pure fruit flavours of New World winemaking with the natural grape acidity associated with northern Europe. Uneven harvests mean that production is still a roller-coaster ride for growers. Demand has historically outstripped supply, keeping the average price of New Zealand wine high, but a bumper crop in 2008 saw producers and contract growers forced to deal with an unexpected surplus and fluctuating prices. However, the results of fast and furious plantings in the mid 1990s helped to introduce more and more wine drinkers to the unique character of wines from these Pacific islands three hours' flying time south east of Australia. Just seven years later (thanks to short vintages, and damage done by the phylloxera louse) there was such a desperate shortage of grapes that there simply wasn't enough wine to mount a serious export effort. In 1986, fearing over-production, the government encouraged growers to pull out a quarter of the country's vines. One strong economic wind and a pronounced list to starboard can threaten to capsize the craft altogether. Like the country itself, it is so small and vulnerable that navigating a safe course across the treacherous waters of the international wine market can be extremely difficult. The New Zealand wine industry, which produces a fraction of 1% of the world's wine, has a real problem.
0 kommentar(er)
