A movie star, jalapenos and sauvignon blanc

The wine industry is alive with stupidity.

From 100- point scores to big companies destroying much-loved brands, to absurd restaurant mark-ups, it is self destructive to the max.

Not to forget an obsession with nolo "wines" that taste nothing like wine.

But there are also some very smart operators involved. 

What, then, to make of jalapeno sauvignon blanc?

This viral summer trend in the US involved dropping frozen jalapeño slices into a glass of chilled sauvignon blanc. It was huge on TikTok, I am reliably informed.

So, naturally, an actress and fashion icon has jumped into the fray, parlaying her "celebrity" wine status.

Sarah Jessica Parker, who has had a partnership with New Zealand wine producer Invivo for several years, is to release her own ‘Spicy Savvy B’.

So here comes Invivo X, SJP Spicy Jalapeño White Wine with Natural Flavor - to be launched in the US this month. And, no doubt, to Australia by next summer. 

"This is wine, made fun and reimagined for the way people drink now," says the website.

"Invivo has taken its crisp, tropical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc base and naturally infused it with jalapeño’s natural flavor to create a new drop designed to be poured chilled, served over ice, or messed around with however you like."

It's not wine as we know it. But these folk have recognised that the drinks business is a fashion business. That's smart.

Now just wait for someone to give it a 100-point score.

All white on the night: surprising Kiwi wine stats

New Zealand wine is an economic powerhouse. 

Kiwi wines are exported to more than 100 countries and wine is New Zealand’s seventh-largest export. 

But the world isn't drinking much Central Otago pinot noir, or Hawke's Bay syrah. 

White wine accounts for approximately 95% of New Zealand’s global wine exports - an astonishing figure. Sauvignon blanc remains the country’s most exported variety, with pinot gris and chardonnay building up steam. 

Half the cash spent by Aussies on sauvignon blanc is on wine from New Zealand. That means Aussies drink more Kiwi savvy blanc than Aussie-produced savvy. 

Wine lovers worldwide are being invited to celebrate New Zealand’s white wines this May, marking three international wine days with a global salute. 

The Pour Yourself a Glass of New Zealand campaign will see tasting and activations around the globe. 

Timed to coincide with International Sauvignon Blanc Day (May 1), International Pinot Gris Day (May 17) and International Chardonnay Day (May 21 ), the campaign aims to shine a light on New Zealand’s signature white wine styles. 

“New Zealand has built a global reputation for producing refreshing, expressive, high‑quality white wines,” says Charlotte Read, general manager brand (what does that even mean?), New Zealand Winegrowers. 

“From sauvignon blanc to pinot gris and chardonnay, these wines reflect both the diversity of our regions and a modern approach to winemaking.”

Wine lovers are encouraged to join the celebration using #pouryourselfaglassofNZ, #greatwhitewinetoast, #whitewineemoji and #nzwine as social media hashtags.

For more info see www.nzwine.com/en/trade/glassofnz

The campaign also builds awareness ahead of Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand 2027, New Zealand’s flagship international wine event (February 2-4 2027). www.sauvignonnz.com. 

Nautilus celebrates 40 years of winemaking

When I wrote a story about the embryonic New Zealand wine industry in the early 1990s, the wine grape most grown at that time was the obscure and now almost forgotten Muller Thurgau.

Ove the past four decades New Zealand has emerged as a globally respected producer of, particularly, sauvignon blanc and pinot noir.

Wine from New Zealand is exported to over 100 countries, the 2025 annual New Zealand Winegrowers report shows. New Zealand produces just over 1% of the world’s wine and New Zealand wine exports for 2024 were worth $NZ 2.1 billion.

Wineries including Montana (now Brancott Estate), Cloudy Bay, Villa Maria and Babich paved the way, along with Nautilus Estate, which this month is marking its 40th anniversary.

Nautilus began its journey in what is New Zealand’s premier wine region, Marlborough, in 1985, a time at a time when fewer than 80 wineries operated across the entire country.

It remains a family-owned operation (albeit an Australian family in the Hill-Smiths), intentionally boutique in scale and committed to producing wines that are 100% Marlborough - with sub-regions and single sites forming an essential part of the winery's story.

Under the stewardship of award-winning winemaker Clive Jones for more than 30 years, Nautilus helped pioneer méthode traditionnelle in the region and exploring varieties like albariño and pinot gris.

"Our focus has been simple yet unwavering: to craft expressive, textural wines that showcase Marlborough's unique terroir," said Jones.

"Every bottle reflects the precision, balance and natural beauty found in our namesake, the Nautilus shell, nature's perfect spiral that represents the harmony we strive for in every vintage."

Today, Nautilus Estate is known for wines including its sauvignon blanc, chardonnay from the Renwick vineyard and pinot noir from Clay Hills.

To mark its 40th anniversary, Nautilus Estate partnered with Gowings Restaurant at QT
Sydney to showcase the family winery's philosophy of crafting wine with food pairing in mind.

The celebration also previewed the upcoming 2025 vintage release of Nautilus Estate Sauvignon
Blanc, Marlborough's famed variety.

"The 2025 vintage displays intense lifted aromas of lemongrass, fresh blackcurrant buds and
ripe grapefruit," says Jones. "The palate introduces delightful lime zest flavours with mouth-
watering intensity, finishing with a strong textural component."

See www.nautilusestate.com

Here is a link to my 1993 story in the Los Angeles Times: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-08-22-mn-26308-story.html 

An Australian wine made in a French style with an American name

The great Californian wine marketer Robert Mondavi created the name Fumé Blanc in the 1960s to differentiate sauvignon blanc aged in oak barrels from the simpler unoaked style.

The term Fumé Blanc has been used for decades by wineries in California and Washington State to denote wines made in a similar style to many chardonnays with rich, toasty and sometimes smoky flavours.

There are several Fumé Blanc wines made in Australia and a Reserve Fumé Blanc is now the latest addition to the Crayères Vineyard range produced by Xavier Bizot and Lucy Croser under their Terre à Terre label.

Terre à Terre was founded in 2008 as an amalgam of historic winemaking families in Champagne and the Adelaide Hills respectively.

Bizot and Croser say their new wine was inspired by the winemaking traditions of Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé in the Loire Valley.

The wine is made from fruit grown on the western side of the Crayères Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc block in Wrattonbully that were 19 years old in 2023.

The wine was aged in the bottle for 18 months before release.

If you are looking for a traditional high acid, herbal and tropical SB then this is not for you.

There are a lot of textural elements here, mouthfeel and intensity to the fore, with oak supporting but not dominating.

“We believe this wine can age for 20 years or more, as can be seen in early releases of our Crayères Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc,” Bizot said.

“We draw on French winemaking traditions from the best producers in Sancerre and Bordeaux - in doing so, we aim to produce the definitive fruit expression of sauvignon blanc from the unique Crayères Vineyard terroir.”

The wine will be released on Monday with an RRP of $59. See https://terreaterre.com.au/ear on year. 

When too much sauvignon blanc is definitely enough

I hate to say I told you so, but I did forecast a sauvignon blanc glut coming when I saw all the new vineyard plantings in Marlborough a decade or so ago.

The wine industry is a fashion industry and while New Zealand sauvignon blanc is a very fine drink it was always going to struggle to maintain the phenomenal popularity it once enjoyed.

No surprise, then, when Radio New Zealand reported this week that declining wine consumption both domestically and overseas is forcing some Marlborough growers to leave their grapes unpicked this season.

In the year ending June 2024, New Zealand wine exports saw a 12.2% drop in value and a 13% drop in volume compared to the previous 12 months.

Picking of this season's sauvignon blanc vintage has just started with wineries moving onto 24-hour operations this week and predicting high yields.

But with wine still in tanks from last year and lower sales, that is forcing wine makers to ask grape growers not to pick all the grapes.

Industry group Wine Marlborough general manager Marcus Pickens said a good flowering followed by great growing conditions has made for too much of a good thing.

"There are a lot of yield caps this year, something not seen in recent years," Pickens said. "We need to introduce those limits to balance out demand and supply."

Fruit is being "harvested to the ground, or left on vines".

"It's not a great situation, obviously we want to harvest everything and sell it to the market, but it's a pretty mature response from an industry perspective that a re-balancing needs to occur," Pickens told RNZ.

He said unsold wine from last vintage was taking up storage space, which also meant less fruit could be picked now.

Sauvignon blanc is the largest export wine variety in New Zealand, with most - about 75% - coming from Marlborough.

New Zealand Winegrowers chief executive Philip Gregan said there was uncertainty about United States tariffs and a slow global market, coming on top of the 2022 and 2023 years which produced very high volume.

The good news for consumers: sauvignon blanc prices over the next 12 months will be very competitive. 

Air New Zealand develops its own wine brand

Air New Zealand will soon be flying direct from Auckland to New York - and is also introducing its own wines for flyers to enjoy en route. 

Air New Zealand has announced plans to create its own wine brand to be enjoyed by customers both in the air and on the ground. 

Named Thirteen Forty Five, the label will pay tribute to the airline's inaugural flight from Auckland to Sydney in 1940, which spanned 1345 miles. 

The flight was operated by Air New Zealand's predecessor, TEAL (Tasman Empire Airways Limited), and that flight marked the beginning of a new era of air travel that would connect New Zealand to the world.

Crafted in collaboration with renowned New Zealand wine producer Villa Maria, part of Indevin Group, Thirteen Forty Five will launch with a signature sauvignon blanc and a pinot noir, available exclusively to Air New Zealand customers.

Air New Zealand has worked with winemakers on the ground in Marlborough to create bespoke blends that capture the essence of New Zealand's most famous wine regions.

Air New Zealand general manager for customer experience, Kylie McGillivray-Brown, says each wine has been crafted with special attention to how flavours are experienced at altitude.

"This wasn't about simply putting our label on a bottle - we've collaborated with Indevin's world-class winemakers to craft these unique blends, creating an exclusive experience for our customers, whether they're savouring it at 30,000 feet alongside our thoughtfully-curated menu, or in our lounges," she said.

"Each pour will be a toast to the journeys that have connected New Zealanders with each other and New Zealand to the world."

Thirteen Forty Five will be available from March 2025 in premium economy, Air New Zealand lounges, and on the Airpoints Store. 

For a limited time, customers will also be able to enjoy it during Koru Hour on select domestic flights.

"From Waiheke Island to Central Otago, it's a privilege to showcase the very best of New Zealand winemaking and share it with the world," says McGillivray-Brown.

Major milestone for one of the world's top wine regions

Younger wine lovers may find find it hard to believe, but there was a time when Marlborough sauvignon blanc did not exist. 

While the style is now ubiquitous - and arguably more famous than Sancerre - Marlborough's rapid ascent to become New Zealand’s major wine-growing region has happened quickly. 

This year, the region’s winemakers and growers are celebrating 50 years since Marlborough’s official beginning as a wine region - and its progression to international renown. 

Wine Marlborough general manager Marcus Pickens says although planting vines in Marlborough 50 years ago might have appeared to be a gamble, the region has the perfect climate for grapes.

“For many of our winegrowing pioneers - Frank Yukich, the Rose, Sutherland, Ibbotson, Marris and Scott families, just to name a few - it would have been gut instinct backed by climate science,” Pickens says.

Marlborough’s first vines - containing muscat grapes - was planted at Auntsfield by Scotsman David Herd in 1873. But commercial plantings didn’t begin until 1973, led by Montana Wines (now known as Brancott Estate) in Fairhall. 

Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, many boutique wine brands - including Cloudy Bay - opened their cellar doors and, by 1986, the name Marlborough was known around the world. 

Viticulture expanded from 6,831 hectares in 2003 to the nearly 30,000 hectares of vineyard Marlborough boasts today - about 71% of New Zealand's national total. 

Marlborough produces between 300 million to 400 million bottles of wine annually, depending on the vintage. 

“From humble beginnings to now producing 79% of New Zealand wine, celebrating this 50-year milestone is something Marlborough, and the entire New Zealand wine industry, can be proud of,” says Charlotte Read, general manager brand of New Zealand Winegrowers. 

“There is no other wine region of the world that has moved from ‘zero to hero’ in just five decades.

“With the value of New Zealand wine exports at an all-time high of $2.4 billion, this proves that globally customers continue to appreciate the vibrant flavours, commitment to quality and sustainability of New Zealand wines, and the distinctive Marlborough character has laid the foundation for our international renown." 

Beth Forrest is the Marlborough Winegrowers Association Board chair. Her parents first planted vines in Marlborough in 1988, and today farm on over 100 hectares. 

She says Marlborough has diverse microclimates in a small space, which contributes to some of the region’s signature sauvignon blanc styles.

“You don’t have to go far to experience a change in soil profile," she says. 

"Sauvignon blanc from the mid-Wairau has an old-school elegance and is austere and mineral-driven. But in the Lower Wairau it has more of a tropical fruit profile. And then in the Awatere it has that punchy, herbal tomato-leaf character."

Although Marlborough is best-known for its sauvignon blanc, Pickens says the region has been well-regarded by aficionados since the 1980s for its traditionally made sparkling wine and, from the late 2000s, for its pinot noir. 

“Wine has made Marlborough an area with a real global presence," Pickens says. "It’s just changed the demographic and made it more multinational. It’s a connection to the rest of the planet that has brought vibrancy and innovation to the region.” 

Pickens hopes the 50-year milestone inspires wine appreciators to re-visit the region. 

“Wine in Marlborough is a big high-value tourism drawcard. The diversity of our wines, particularly our aromatic varieties. It is a real draw - everyone who comes to the region is surprised at the range we have to offer."

See https://www.marlboroughwinenz.com/ and https://www.nzwine.com/

Upping the ante on low-alcohol wines

New Zealand winery Giesen - one of the pioneers in the low-alcohol wine market - is upping the ante with a new range.

Giesen says there is increased consumer interest in lighter and no-alcohol wines, prompting the launch of the its new formula Pure Light range, which has been reduced from from 9% to 6% alcohol by volume.

"Wine lovers can now enjoy their New Zealand sauvignon blanc or pinot gris with 50% less alcohol, without compromising on flavour." Giesen says in a statement.

It is claimed the new wines also have 45% less calories than full-strength wine.

Recent research shows 46% of Australian wine drinkers claim to be reducing their alcohol intake, says Wine Intelligence.

That figure increases to 56% for the 18-34 age group.

Giesen Group has invested in a $1 million in-house spinning cone (the technology used to remove alcohol).

With three three years' experience making the Giesen 0% range, the company says it now has the capacity to reduce the alcohol in Pure Light and not lose any of the flavours or aromas.

I will report back after sampling the wines.

“This is an exciting evolution for our Pure Light range, which we have been making for several years at 9% alcohol/volume," says chief winemaker, Duncan Shouler.

"We’re doing things differently, though. The wines are first crafted as classic New Zealand sauvignon blanc and pinot gris, going through the same process as we use for our full-strength wines.

"We then use our advanced spinning cone technology to delicately remove alcohol down to 6% alc/vol, leaving us with lower alcohol but maximum flavour.

"Many would fail to even know that the wine is lighter-in-alcohol given the aroma and palate are so similar."




Both wines are gluten free and vegan friendly and will be rolling out across Australia in Dan Murphy’s stores with an RRP of $16.99.

A wine gamble that paid off big time

 

Younger wine lovers may find it hard to believe but just over 30 years ago sauvignon blanc was pretty much a rarity in Australia. 

Before the Marlborough sauvignon blanc boom, basically the only savvy blancs being enjoyed in Australia were imports from Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé or Menetou-Salon in the Loire Valley of France. 

Robert Mondavi in California made a wine labelled Fumé Blanc that was made from sauvignon blanc and enjoyed brief popularity Down Under, but that was about it. 

It was a decision right out of left field then, when Michael Hill-Smith, Australia's first Master of Wine, and his cousin Martin Shaw (a long-time disciple of Brian Croser at Petaluma) decided to launch a new Adelaide Hills label called Shaw+Smith with a first-release sauvignon blanc. 

It was an aromatic variety they felt would be well suited to the cold, wet and high-altitude hills region. Sauvignon Blanc is generally at its most delicate and pretty when grown around 450m above sea level with summer sun.

"The idea of being able to do something new and modern was really appealing," Hill-Smith has said. 

Shaw+Smith was established in 1989 with a first release in 1990 and I remember tasting that first release with Michael Hill-Smith, which makes me feel very old indeed. 

But the wine set off an uncontrollable juggernaut. 

Shaw+Smith has become an Australian icon and Shaw and Hill-Smith now also own and operate Tolpuddle, a Tasmanian label known for stellar pinot noir and chardonay.

The 2021 Shaw+Smith Sauvignon Blanc was just been released - and it remains a market leader with wonderful vibrancy and freshness. Think grapefruit, citrus and guava notes with very brisk acidity.  

This is the 32nd release and it remains a wine to be enjoyed in all its youthful playfulness. And it remains priced at under $30. 

"It truly was a remarkable vintage with winter rains setting up the vines well for the growing season," says David LeMire, a Master of Wine who works in sales and marketing for Shaw+Smith. 

"The spring and summer months were mil, allowing sauvignon blanc fruit to build excellent flavour, intensity and acidity."

The 2021 is long, lean and delicious. Top work again from winemaker Adam Wadewitz. Pair it with a warm goat cheese tart for maximum sensory pleasure!

See www.shawandsmith.com/