For most people if you think wine and think New Zealand then you are usually thinking about Sauvignon Blanc! And with good reason, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has been one of the wine world's biggest success stories since Cloudy Bay crashed the French party back in 1985.
 
Whilst Sauvignon Blanc dominates production, sales and export figures there are some wonderful wines waiting to be discovered from all around the two islands.
 
We will start with one of my favourite producers in Marlborough - Seresin - their whole range is excellent, but its their Pinot Gris that i have selected to show. Marlborough is capable of so much more than just Sauvignon. It produces wonderful fizz and top-notch aromatic whites like Gewurz, Gruner Veltliner, Riesling and Pinot Gris.
 
Next up we are going to hop over to the North Island and taste an elegant lightly oaked Chardonnay from Hawkes Bay. Chardonnay is ubiquitous around the New World, it got a bad reputation for overly-oaked, high alcohol monsters! This is the antithesis of that style - oak doesn't have to mean oaky, it can mean smooth, savoury, spicy and/or nutty - it should enhance the wine rather than overpower it. Trinity Hill is one of Hawkes Bay's founding wineries and also one its most awarded.
 
We'll finish at one of the most Southerly regions in the world capable of producing high class wine - Central Otago. We'll taste the grape that has put it on the world stage - Pinot Noir. A former winner of New Zealand's best Pinot, Rua Pinot Noir highlights all that is good with the grape and the region - clear, defined red fruit, a clean cut of acid running through it that pairs so wonderfully with white meats and the abundant local venison.
 
 
We will taste:
1 x Pinot Gris (White)
1 x Chardonnay (White)
1 x Pinot Noir (Red)
 
Taste 3 Wines