Wine in 2025: key trends to shape the global industry

Sophie Arundel db | 7 January 2025

From experiential marketing to bright whites, 2025 is set to see trends prioritising wellness, innovation and sustainability, according to a report by AF&CO.

As we look ahead to wine in 2025, the industry is undergoing a transformation driven by shifting consumer preferences, climate challenges, and generational tastes. From low-alcohol wines to experiential offerings, here are the trends that will define the year ahead, based on insights from the AF&CO + Carbonate Trends Report 2025.

Chenin Blanc leads the charge in bright whites

White wines are poised for continued growth in 2025, outpacing reds globally. Beyond mainstays like Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio, under-the-radar varieties are gaining attention. Chenin Blanc is emerging as a standout, combining the crispness of Sauvignon Blanc with Chardonnay’s complexity, making it both versatile and age-worthy.

In the Loire Valley, where Chenin Blanc thrives, producers predict its plantings will surpass Sauvignon Blanc, thanks to its resilience in a warming climate. Bourgueil, traditionally a red wine appellation, has begun lobbying for a high-quality designation for its Chenin Blanc wines, signalling the grape’s resurgence. Across the Atlantic, California winemakers and Washington’s Chateau Ste. Michelle are spearheading a revival of Chenin Blanc in the United States, further broadening its appeal.

Innovative whites such as White Malbec from Argentina and White Pinot Noir from Oregon are also reshaping the category, offering fresh, unexpected options for adventurous drinkers.

Low-alcohol wines for wellness-conscious consumers

Health and wellness trends continue to influence the wine industry, with low-alcohol wines gaining momentum. Brands such as Duckhorn, Kendall Jackson, and Kim Crawford have introduced reduced-alcohol ranges to appeal to health-conscious consumers seeking moderation without sacrificing flavour.

Similarly, Chilean wine brand Casillero del Diablo, owned by Concha y Toro, has launched its first alcohol-free wine in the UK market with the introduction of a de-alcoholised sparkling wine.

The trend aligns with the broader movement towards mindful drinking, as consumers increasingly look for wines that complement their lifestyles.

Alternative formats and sweet wines

Cans, magnums, and other packaging formats are resonating with younger consumers prioritising convenience and sustainability. Additionally, sweeter wines with lower alcohol are successfully drawing in new drinkers. Inspired by global flavour trends, these approachable wines tap into the popularity of sweet and spicy combinations, broadening wine’s appeal to diverse audiences.

Experience-driven consumption

Wineries are moving beyond traditional tastings to create immersive, memorable experiences. Younger generations, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, are drawn to events where wine is part of a larger narrative. From art installations to retro-inspired social hours, wineries like Bella Union in Napa Valley are aiming to engage younger consumers through unique on site tasting spaces, and features like outdoors after hours bars.

Sustainability and adaptation

Sustainability remains a critical focus as climate change impacts vineyard management and consumer priorities. The shift towards resilient grape varieties, such as Chenin Blanc, reflects efforts to adapt to changing growing conditions. At the same time, eco-friendly packaging and practices are increasingly integral to marketing strategies aimed at environmentally conscious consumers.

New Zealand wine sales in US increase, for 16th year in a row

Morningreport | 21 April 2023

Sales of New Zealand wine have increased in the US – “a bright spot in an otherwise declining import sector”, the New Zealand Winegrowers industry body says.

The increase, for 2024, marks the sixteenth year in a row that retail sales of New Zealand wines within the US have gone up, the new report from alcohol sales analysts Impact Databank. And it comes on the heels of threats from US president Donald Trump to impose a 200 percent tariff on alcohol imported from European Union countries, amid unfolding international trade tensions.

New Zealand Winegrowers director Fabian Yukich told Morning Report it was promising news, amidst otherwise challenging conditions.

“That publication goes out to a lot of people who make decisions about buying New Zealand wine, so it’s pretty important … that we’re getting all this good news from the US right now, where things are otherwise a bit gloomy in other parts of the industry … people see it and they say, well we better order some more New Zealand wine,” Yukich said.

New Zealand is particularly known for the “flavours and aromas” of our sauvignon blank, he said.

“If you look at it from a global perspective, we are less than 2 percent of the world’s production – the trend at the moment is moving away from red wines and towards white wines, and it’s moving towards those more aromatic fresh white wines, so the trend is all in New Zealand’s favour.”

“So the wine’s that we make they are also very sustainably made, and we do take a lot of time to promote that around the world, and that is also in our favour because people do like to buy wines that are sustainably produced.”

Yukich said despite retail sales in the US increasing, retailers were being slow to restock New Zealand wine on their shelves, “and we are feeling that a little bit in New Zealand.”

“They’re unstocking – so that means less sales in the short term … less imports from New Zealand at the moment … but the outlook in the long term is good. Just about every other country’s sales at retail level are reducing, and wine in general is reducing – against that backdrop New Zealand wine is increasing … the long term picture is good.”

Picking has just begun for this season’s sauvignon blanc, but in the face of declining consumption in New Zealand and international, some growers in Marlborough have recently been advised to leave some of their crop unpicked.

“In the last three years we’ve had three massive crops, that Mother Nature has delivered – and this year’s no different to 2022 and 2023, where the vines are delivering a lot of grapes,” Yukich said.

“And the wine companies are saying ‘well look, we need to temper that against what is actually being exported out of the country’.

“It’s not great news for our growers… but the long term outlook is good.”

Kiwi winemaker takes top accolade in the Sakura Japan Women’s Wine Awards

Winemaker Diana Katardzhieva “Best Woman Winemaker” 2025 Sakura Women’s Wine Awards

Winemaker Diana Katardzhieva “Best Woman Winemaker” 2025 Sakura Women’s Wine Awards
Winemaker Diana Katardzhieva “Best Woman Winemaker” 2025 Sakura Women’s Wine Awards

Whitehaven Senior Winemaker Diana Katardzhieva has been named “Best Woman Winemaker” for still white wines at the 2025 Sakura Women’s Wine Awards.

Both the 2024 Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc and 2023 Chardonnay were also awarded the top accolade of Diamond Trophy.

Now in its 12th year, the event attracted 3,969 entries from 36 countries and was judged by 430 female wine judges (280 in Tokyo and 150 in Osaka).

Katardzhieva is one of nine female winemakers to receive the award, and one of only two New Zealand female winemakers to make the list.

Diana, who has been at Whitehaven for over 20 years, says the recognition is “proof that years of tasting, tweaking, and the occasional barrel pep talk can pay off.”

She goes on to credit women in general and her wider team, saying “[the award is a] wonderful reminder of the amazing things women are accomplishing in the wine industry.

“Great wine is a team effort, and I see the award as recognition not only of myself, but of the fruit quality from our vineyards and growers, and the effort of the Whitehaven team.

“The fact this wine is judged by a talented group of women, makes this even more special… Especially since we all know women are usually the ones choosing the wine anyway!”

Move over France … there’s a new kid on the European wine-making block

Move over France … there’s a new kid on the European wine-making block and it might just be a little too close for comfort, writes Fiona Whitty, & explore
the Wine Garden of England.

Believe it or not the United Kingdom is emerging as an exciting force in the wine-making industry, producing bottles that even the fussy French sometimes prefer.

In a now-notorious taste test among Parisien restaurateurs three English sparkling wines were pitted against three elite Champagnes. The English challengers came out on top.

And last year the UK’s biggest wine producer, Chapel Down, headed to France’s Champagne region under the guise of the literally translated Chapelle en Bas to put their own fizz against a top local brand. The result? A staggering 60% preferred the English version.

Now in a further nod to the quality of English sparkling, French Champagne giant Taittinger has hopped across the Channel and snapped up land near London – recently producing their first-ever non-French fizz.

There are some 700 vineyards dotted around England and Wales, blossoming thanks to warmer weather and, in some areas, chalky soil similar to that in the Champagne region.

And the county of Kent, southeast of London and where Domaine Evremond is based, is arguably the perfect place to start a wine discovery. It has more vineyards than anywhere else and garners a fantastic reputation, particularly for its sparkling.

Kent is dubbed the Garden of England thanks to its fantastic fruit growing. But viticulture fans could start by diving into the Wine Garden of England, a small band of esteemed vineyards that offer great experiences and fun events – and sometimes even top-class restaurants and accommodation.

We’ve etched out an itinerary below. As public transport in rural areas can be limited, hiring a car is best once you’ve caught a 55-minute train from London to Canterbury in the heart of Kent wine country. Companies generally offer automatics as well as manuals.

So, with the autumn harvest well under way, designate your driver and start popping open those Kent corks.

DAY ONE

Once off the train, get a feel for beautiful Canterbury. Its magnificent cathedral and city walls are testament to its 1400-year-old history.

For your first tasting, swing by Corkk, a shop and wine bar where two-thirds of its stock is home-produced, much of it from Kent.

Enjoy a tutored wine flight, a glass of a wine of the week or a sample from its vending machine-style wine taster, which allows you to buy small measures from 10 different wines.

Staff will be delighted to guide you … they’re experts at Britain’s best specialist retailer, as nominated by viticulture bible Decanter.

Afterwards motor over to Simpsons Wine Estate for a vineyard tour followed by a tutored tasting.

It’s run by Ruth and Charles Simpson, who had already built up an award-winning vineyard in France when they spotted England’s potential and started up in Kent 12 years ago. Their Derringstone Pinot Meunier is deliciously crisp and fresh.

For some shut-eye head to the Pig at Bridge Place. The Pigs, a small but perfectly formed band of hotels, have become a national institution, revered for their character, warm service, sustainability and support for local produce.

This one doesn’t disappoint, with quirky lounges, roaring fires, wood panels, roll-top baths and antique furniture. Late afternoon cake hour with help-yourself homemade cakes and tours of their extensive kitchen garden are additional treats.

You’ll see the latter’s fruits in much of the restaurant’s menus, mostly sourced within a 40km radius – like its roasted squash starter and lemon sole with foraged sea buckthorn.

Its drinks menu reflects the same ethos; its own Piggy Fizz was made in nearby Sussex and there are over 30 other English wines available, many from Kent.

DAY TWO

Take a leisurely weave across the rolling Kent Downs countryside to Balfour Winery.

In 2007, their Brut Rose was the first ever English wine to win an International Wine Challenge gold.

Their new Winemakers’ Kitchen restaurant features dishes designed to complement their different wines, rather than the other way round.

Try pan-seared scallops in estate cider sauce served with Balfour’s Skye’s Chardonnay, followed by slow-roasted beef short rib with Luke’s Pinot Noir.

Save a bit of room and head over to Chapel Down, the UK’s biggest producer, for a tour followed by a tutored wine and cheese pairing, where you may discover how a creamy extra mature cheddar
suits the apple-freshness of the Kit’s Coty chardonnay.

In the shop, you can pick up a bottle of the Kit’s Coty Coeur de Cuvee 2016, recently named Supreme Champion – England’s best wine – at the WineGB awards.

Bed down at the Grape Escape, a cosy cottage based at another nearby vineyard, Biddenden – and watch the sunset over the vines from the wood-fired hot tub.

Kent’s chalky soil is similar to the Champagne region, making it ideal for producing sparkling wine.

DAY THREE

Stop off at the delightful Loddington Farm Shop – grab their Owlet juices made from fruit grown there – then enjoy lunch over at Bowleys at the Plough, a pub-cum-restaurant that dates to 1483.

Alongside a Kentish tasting menu try Bowleys’ own wine, made at the nearby Redhill Winery.

Afterwards, try one of the regular tastings at the Silverhand Estate, the UK’s largest organic vineyard where sheep graze between the vines to boost soil health and aid natural fertilisation and pest control.

For lights out try the Tickled Trout pub near Maidstone. Owned by Balfour Winery, the drinks menu includes several of its wines by the glass or bottle as well as tasting flights.

ON THE WAY BACK

Call in at Westwell, the Kent wine family’s quirky cousin. In autumn visitors can catch the odd supper club and – on most weeks – Pizza Fridays when a pizza van rolls up outside the fairy-light illuminated winery.

Don’t miss the Pinot Meunier Multi Vintage, a tongue-tingling fizz made without additives that recently bagged best innovative sparkling at the WineGB awards.

Make one last stop at the Tudor Peacock, a wine bar and shop in an old hall dating to the 14th century. Based in Chilham near the new Domaine Evremond winery, it offers samples of Kent’s finest plus talks and themed tastings in a stunning vaulted tasting room.

Elephant Hill for sale: Another Hawke’s Bay winery on the market

Elephant Hill, a Hawke's Bay winery started by a German businessman in 2001, is up for sale, including its lodge, vineyards, winery and restaurant.
Elephant Hill, a Hawke's Bay winery started by a German businessman in 2001, is up for sale, including its lodge, vineyards, winery and restaurant.
Elephant Hill, a Hawke’s Bay winery started by a German businessman in 2001, is up for sale, including its lodge, vineyards, winery and restaurant.

From Jack Riddell, a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today

Another Te Awanga winery is up for sale – with two of the area’s three vineyards now on the market – as Elephant Hill’s owner says it’s time to move on.

All of Elephant Hill Holdings Limited Group is on the market, which includes the owner’s lodge overlooking Cape Kidnappers, vineyards in Te Awanga and Gimblett Gravels, the winery, the cellar door, the restaurant, all physical assets and stock, the brand and an established distribution network both nationally and abroad.

But what chief executive Andreas Weiss says is the most important aspect of the sale is the team. “We are a small, high-performance team. I think we have the best people in their respective places.

You can’t find anyone better in Hawke’s Bay, and I’m very proud of that.”
Elephant Hill was founded by businessman Roger Weiss and his wife Reyden in 2001 after they “fell in love with New Zealand and a piece of land on the beautiful coast of Te Awanga”, which was at the time an abandoned venison farm. The winery was then opened in 2008.

“I think we were quite successful in building a brand with a very high reputation,” Andreas said.

“Everybody knows Elephant Hill because of the passion and of the investments that we did here.”

Roger died suddenly in 2016. Andreas, his son, had taken up the role of chief executive at the company a year earlier.

According to Andreas, the company is on the market because it is time for the family to move on.

“[My parents] created the dream; they created the vision of Elephant Hill. Since my father died, my mother, she comes over here more to cry than anything else because they built it together.”

Andreas said he hopes to find someone who shares the same vision and passion for wine and the land as his parents did. “It is, I think, breathtaking and mind-blowing sometimes. I mean, I am just looking out from my office looking at the Bay, and it’s just a beauty.”

Since then, the winery has closed and reopened its restaurant, and hosted marathons, mass dog walks, and countless wedding receptions and long lunches.

Elephant Hill is on the market at the same time as Te Awanga Estate’s coastal vineyard and cellar door/restaurant. Executive officer at Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers, Brent Limm, said the sales multiple of vineyards in the area is more of a coincidence than anything else.

“The Te Awanga area is an important subregion of Hawke’s Bay producing a wide range of high-quality wines with a distinctive sense of place.”

Elephant Hill and Te Awanga Estate’s neighbour Tim Turvey from Clearview Wines agrees, saying the subregion is still the most enviable area in Hawke’s Bay in which to grow wine, “especially chardonnay”, and the vineyards have the accolades to prove it.

At this year’s New Zealand International Wine Challenge, Clearview won a double gold for its Reserve Chardonnay 2021, while Te Awanga Estate’s won the trophy at London’s International Wine Competition for Best Red Wine of Show in 2015, and Elephant Hill’s 2019 Salome was awarded the highest score by respected UK-based Master of Wine Rebecca Gibb in her 2022 New
Zealand white wine report.

‘Brothers’ Launch Gisborne 2024 Albarino Wine

The Albarino Brothers – Ant Saunders, Ollie Powrie and Shaye Bird – have launched their Gisborne 2024 Albarino wine. Photo / Richard Brimer

Murray Robertson, Gisborne Herald | 11 Oct 24

The Albarino Brothers – Ant Saunders, Ollie Powrie and Shaye Bird – have launched their Gisborne 2024 Albarino wine. Photo / Richard Brimer
The Albarino Brothers – Ant Saunders, Ollie Powrie and Shaye Bird – have launched their Gisborne 2024 Albarino wine. Photo / Richard Brimer

The Albarino Brothers launched their Gisborne 2024 Albarino wine at a function in the city yesterday.

Ollie Powrie, Shaye Bird and Ant Saunders are three friends connected through wine. They are not at all related.

The men conceived what they describe as a “passion project”, a wine using 100% Gisborne-grown Albarino grapes. The 2024 version is a historic first for the trio.

“We’re all passionate about the quality and potential of the wine,” they said. “It’s a crisp, refreshing and tangy dry white wine that has already been described as the ‘it’ wine for this coming summer.”

A wine industry spokesman said the Albarino grape variety had an affinity to Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay regions – sharing characteristics with the variety’s native home in northwestern Spain and Portugal.

“The slightly warmer nights are perfect to tame the natural high acidity of the variety, and having evolved in a marine climate, the grape is very resistant to humidity and rain coming in from the ocean.”

Powrie said: ”All said and done, this means that Gisborne was an ideal place from which to source a world-class wine.”

Gisborne grapegrowers Doug and Delwyn Bell played a role in the development of the Albarino variety in New Zealand more than a decade ago.

The Albarino Brothers launch was held at Gisborne Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club.

Strong support for wine with passing of Winery Cellar Door Tasting Bill

AND in the Did You Know category

www.nzwine.com | Aug 2024

New Zealand Winegrowers congratulates Stuart Smith MP and Parliament on the passing of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Winery Cellar Door Tasting) Amendment Bill following its third reading. “These changes will make a difference”, says Philip Gregan, Chief Executive Officer of New Zealand
Winegrowers. “The Bill brings legislation on winery cellar doors into the 21st Century. It recognises the contribution made by winery cellar doors to the tourism offering in New Zealand’s wine regions and enables wineries to charge for providing their tourism experience”.

Philip said “It is positive that the legislation will be in force ahead of the busy summer season, which was one of our requests to the Select Committee when hearing submissions on the Bill. We thank them for the timely consideration of the Private Members Bill.”

The changes allow winery cellar doors with an off-license to charge for providing samples of wine, which were previously only able to be given away for free, making it difficult for wineries to cover the costs of providing these experiences.

Philip said “During the submission process the Select Committee heard directly from our members that this change will help them to cover their costs and encourage other members to open new winery cellar doors that would otherwise have not been an economic proposition. We expect this change will create new jobs and new tourism experiences to encourage visitor growth”.
Winery cellar doors will continue to observe host responsibility practices, including a maximum sample size of 35ml, meeting the new requirements to have snack food available for purchase and for water to be freely available.

“The robust consideration by the Select Committee and Parliament means these changes will have a positive and lasting impact on New Zealand’s regional wine tourism experiences. We welcome all visitors to one of the 250 plus winery cellar doors and wine tourism experiences throughout New
Zealand.”

AI Developed to Protect Wine Industry

University of Otago food science senior lecturer Dr Biniam Kebede has been awarded $300,000 in funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to carry out a new research project aimed at protecting New Zealand’s wine industry from fraud. PHOTO: GERARD O’BRIEN

 john.lewis@odt.co.nz | 21 June 2024

University of Otago food science senior lecturer Dr Biniam Kebede has been awarded $300,000 in funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to carry out a new research project aimed at protecting New Zealand’s wine industry from fraud. PHOTO: GERARD O’BRIEN
University of Otago food science senior lecturer Dr Biniam Kebede has been awarded $300,000 in funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to carry out a new research project aimed at protecting New Zealand’s wine industry from fraud. PHOTO: GERARD O’BRIEN

As food fraud continues to grow around the world, Otago researchers have begun a ground-breaking project aimed at protecting the New Zealand wine industry from imposters.

University of Otago food science senior lecturer Dr Biniam Kebede is developing an artificial intelligence-powered hyperspectral imaging technique to test wine authenticity and traceability — all without opening the bottle.

The portable cutting-edge initiative aims to strengthen the industry’s integrity, combat fraud and ensure product safety.

There was a growing food fraud problem across all commodities, Dr Kebede said.

“That issue has also been increasing after Covid-19 because there is less control, supply chain disruptions — all those things.

“One of the most common forms of food fraud is geographical origin fraud, where a wine from one country could be claimed to be from another country.”

New Zealand wine was well known for its good quality and unique flavour, so consumers were willing to pay a higher price for it.

“Some people will take advantage of that, so we have to protect that.

“Geographical origin fraud can severely impact a brand’s reputation and market trust.”

One of the ways to check where a wine was from was to taste it or do a chemical analysis on it, he said.

It was a well-established method, but it meant opening the bottle.

“You can’t sell it once you’ve done that.

“So, we are trying to leverage advancements in imaging methods, like hyperspectral imaging.

“There are a number of imaging methods which you can use to analyse the contents without opening the bottle.

“You basically shine infrared light through the bottle, and it will give very complex imaging data, which is where artificial intelligence and deep learning will be used.”

The main part of the research was to create an imaging database of existing New Zealand wines, so it could be used to verify the authenticity of other wines claiming to be from New Zealand.

“We want to focus on protecting the integrity, the traceability and the origin of the product.

“The development of effective techniques for ensuring food integrity has broad national and global benefits.

“It strengthens the economy, enhances market reputation and boosts consumer confidence and premium pricing.”

Similar research had been used to verify the authenticity of coffees, Dr Kebede said.

The project was recently awarded $300,000 in Catalyst funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment as part of the New Zealand-China Strategic Research Alliance.

The project brings together leading research institutes and industry stakeholders from the University of Otago, AgResearch, Oritain and China-based company Sinolight Technology Innovation Centre Ltd.

Mission Estate winemaker Paul Mooney retires after 45 years

Mission Estate winemaker Paul Mooney retires after 45 years

15 July 2024 | CathNews New Zealand

Mission Estate winemaker Paul Mooney retires after 45 years

After a 45+ year tenure, we have farewelled our famed winemaker, Paul Mooney.

How do you sum up a career that long? Paul has been here since 1979 and has seen numerous changes within the industry and Mission itself.

He has always loved innovation in wine and has been deeply involved in sustainability in the winery. We are 60% more water efficient and 67% more energy efficient than other like-sized NZ wineries, making Mission an industry leader.

If forced to pick one, Paul feels that 2009 was his favourite vintage. It is no coincidence that the 2009 Jewelstone Cabernet Merlot blend (now known as ‘Antoine’) received outstanding reviews, culminating in the infamous tasting led by Lisa Perotti-Brown MV, held in Hong Kong in 2011.

Jewelstone ‘Antoine’ came third in the line-up which included five French First Growths valued at thousands of dollars a bottle.

Paul is a treasured person around Mission, and we wish him well for his next chapter of history in the making.

Having worked alongside Paul for the past 13 years EIT graduate Alex Roper is now relishing the challenge of honouring his legacy, expertly assisted by Jillian Meier and the wider team.

This expertise, passion and dedication are the foundations of Mission’s excellence. The team is excited to be continuing to make history in the Mission spirit.

Read more on Paul.

Please note that we are planning for Mission to present to the CellarClub in March 2025 – Ed.

Central Otago: The New Zealand wine region with vineyards to rival Burgundy

Along with its famous pinot noir, the region also produces excellent riesling wines CREDIT: Getty

Susy Atkins, Daily Telegraph UK | July 2024

Along with its famous pinot noir, the region also produces excellent riesling wines CREDIT: Getty
Along with its famous pinot noir, the region also produces excellent riesling wines CREDIT: Getty

The world’s most southerly commercial wine region, Central Otago produces pinot noir considered among the finest on earth.

There are plenty of reasons people from all over the world make the long journey to the southern part of New Zealand’s South Island.

The majestic, jaw-dropping scenery for one – Mount Cook, Milford Sound, the Southern Alps, glaciers and turquoise lakes – and the many opportunities for hiking, kayaking, climbing and (eek) bungy jumping.

I travelled there recently with another main aim – to visit the wineries of the world’s most southerly commercial vine-growing region, Central Otago.
To the east of the Southern Alps, close to popular Queenstown on Lake Wakatipu, the Central Otago vines cling to a rugged, rocky terrain. Winemaking only took off here in the 1990s.

Sheltered by the mountains, it’s very arid with hardly any top soil on the foothills, and the weather can be harsh, wind whistling through the vineyards and frosts striking at almost any time of year.

But vines that have to work hard can make the very best of wines, and the nuanced, beautifully balanced pinot noir eked out in this region is considered among the finest in the world.

Mount Cook National Park is home to some jaw-dropping scenery CREDIT: Getty
Mount Cook National Park is home to some jaw-dropping scenery CREDIT: Getty

Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor, owns and is based at his winery Two Paddocks in Alexandra, Central Otago. The most hands-on of “celebrity winemakers”, he tells me half-jokingly that “rational people shouldn’t make wine here”.

‘But,’ he continues, ‘I’ve learned that to produce great pinot, you have to teeter on the edge of viability.’

There’s certainly huge complexity in the region’s hard-won pinots: savoury, spicy notes, a whiff of violets and smoke and something woody-herbal, redolent of the scrubby wild thyme bushes that cling to the hillsides all around.

It’s not just pinot that makes an impact here. Chardonnay and pinot gris can impress but my favourite whites from the region are its Rieslings, usually dry and intensely flavoured with super-fresh citrus and orchard fruit. If you love German, Austrian and Australian Riesling, you really need to try these most southerly ones.

Although very few Central Otago wines make it into the major retailers (the region only produces 3% of New Zealand’s wines), plenty of independent merchants stock a few.

They’re not cheap, as you might expect from a small region with very low-yielding vineyards, but I think the best rank comfortably alongside those from the traditional, long-established vineyard areas of the world.

  • Peregrine Riesling 2022, Central Otago
    12%, Great Wine, £28.85 | $32.00NZD
    Compelling and beautifully balanced organic riesling, almost dry, and aromatic with lime and lemongrass character and a very succulent long finish. The incisive acidity points to a good “ager”, although it’s delicious now, especially with white fish ceviche.
  • Two Paddocks Picnic Riesling 2022, Central Otago
    12%, ndjohn.co.uk, £19.95; Harvey Nichols, £23 | $36.00NZD
    Actor Sam Neill’s organic Picnic Riesling is shot through with zesty citrus, and there are notes of green apple and pear too. It’s slightly off-dry and that dab of honey makes it a great match for ham, pork pies and mild cheeses (picnic food then) as well as seafood.
  • Mount Difficulty Pinot Noir 2022, Central Otago
    14%, Waitrose, £29.99 | $47NZD
    Bursting with juicy red fruits, especially red cherries, this is nonetheless much more than a sweet “fruit bomb” of a wine, with savoury, earthy and spicy complexity and ending dry. Its texture is sublimely soft and silky. I’d drink this with medium-rare duck breast.
  • Rockburn Pinot Noir 2022, Central Otago
    14%, strictlywine.co.uk, £38.50 | From $49NZD
    Down to £29.99 while stocks last, minimum three bottles Rockburn is one to watch. Named after the craggy landscape and with Felton Road ex-winemaker Malcolm Rees-Francis at the helm, its wines are distinctively elegant and poised. This fresh, vivacious pinot offers a beguiling aroma of cherries, violets and tart raspberries. Good offer too.
  • Felton Road Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2022, Central Otago
    14%, Lea & Sandeman, £47.50 | $67NZD
    Felton Road owns some of the oldest vineyards in the region, dating back to the 1990s, and is part-owned by Englishman Nigel Greening. Its near-cult status is due to pinots like this – inky purple and super-smooth, rich with ripe blackberries and a seam of chocolate, with a dash of woody herbs, especially thyme. Organic, too. Deserves a fine steak.

Archeologists fine ‘oldest wine ever discovered’

The wine pictured in the glass urn. / Credit: Juan Manuel Román

By S.Dev CBS news

The wine pictured in the glass urn. / Credit: Juan Manuel Román
The wine pictured in the glass urn. / Credit: Juan Manuel Román

Archaeologists have found an urn of wine that is more than 2,000 years old, making it the “oldest wine ever discovered,” researchers said in a new study. The glass funerary urn was found in a Roman tomb in Carmona, Spain, that archaeologists first uncovered in 2019.

A team of chemists at the University of Cordoba recently identified the wine as having been preserved since the first century, researchers said in a study published June 16 in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. The discovery bested the previous record held by a Speyer wine bottle discovered in 1867 that dated back to the fourth century.

The urn was used in a funerary ritual that involved two men and two women. As part of the ritual, the skeletal remains of one of the men was immersed in the wine. While the liquid had acquired a reddish hue, a series of chemical tests determined that, due to the absence of a certain acid, the wine was, in fact, white.

“At first we were very surprised that liquid was preserved in one of the funerary urns,” Juan Manuel Román, the city of Carmona’s municipal archaeologist, said in a news release.

Despite millennia having passed, the tomb had been well-sealed, and its conditions were therefore extraordinarily intact, protected from floods and leaks, which allowed the wine to maintain its natural state, researchers said.
“Most difficult to determine was the origin of the wine, as there are no  amples from the same period with which to compare it,” the news release said. Still, it was no coincidence that the man’s remains were found in the wine. According to the study, women in ancient Rome were prohibited from drinking wine.

“It was a man’s drink,” the release said. “And the two glass urns in the Carmona tomb are elements illustrating Roman society’s gender divisions in its funerary rituals.”

Seven Bold Wine-World Predictions for 2024

Getty Images
Getty Images
Getty Images

Wine News by Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen – Robb Report – also known as the World Wine Guys, are wine spirits, food and travel writers, educators and
hosts.

Sparkling Wine Will Break Free of the Holidays

The Wine Press has been saying this for years, but it looks like consumers are finally embracing the idea that Champagne and other sparkling wines are not only for special occasions and holidays. Expect to see a lot more of your friends ordering a glass of Champagne or popping a bottle open at home at regular dinners and get-togethers, not just celebrations.

The Coming Bubble Boom will have people looking beyond Champagne

RAY MASSEY/GETTY
RAY MASSEY/GETTY

The increased demand for sparkling wine means that we’re all going to be drinking a vriety of styles and regions, including Spanish Cava; Italian Franciacorta, Trentodoc and Prosecco; and California sparkling. Wine bars, restaurants and shops will also be offering more renditions of ‘pet-nat’, a
natural sparkler than can be from anywhere wine is made.

Rosé is Going Haute

Drinking Rosé throughout the year has gone from tend to permanent status and we will see more and more premium offerings entering the market. We’ve been expecting to see luxury competition for pioneers in the space such as Domaine Ott, Château d’Esclans and Gérard Bertrand for some time, and LVMH’s major investment in Château Minuty earlier this year sealed the deal as far as we’re concerned. Expanded – and pricier – Rosé selections are on their way to a restaurant near you.

Expect Italy to Heat Up the Auction Block

WILK
WILK

We tapped Nick Pegna, Sotheby’s global head of wine and spirits, for his thoughts, and he in turn polled some of the auction house’s younger specialists to see what they’re hearing about new bright spots in the wine sphere. According to Pegna, Piedmont is on its way up in the auction world, so look to see more Barolo and Barbaresco. We’ve been hearing a lot about (and tasting plenty of) Brunello as well, so keep an eye on Italy’s three B’s.

Connoisseurs Will Have Better Options for Low and No-Alcohol Wines

As Dry January, Sober October, ‘Mindful Drinking’ and well, just drinking less persist in their upward climb, no and low alcohol wine will continue to grow as well. Many people stop drinking temporarily for numerous reasons that include pregnancy, medication regimes or training for a marathon or triathlon, yet they still want to enjoy the social aspect of having a glass of wine with friends.

Although at the onset the category was flooded with low quality dealcoholized bulk wine, we are seeing a growth in single vineyard offerings from well-known regions.

You’ll Be Hearing More About Carbon Footprints

The future of the wine industry is in peril due to rising summer temperatures and unstable weather patterns, and many producers are taking it upon themselves to sound the alarm and become changemakers. Expect to see an increase in the number of back labels talking about sustainability, low water utilization, and regenerative farming, and don’t be surprised when even top icon wines start using lighter-weight bottles to reduce the impact of freight shipping and material usage.

Younger wine drinkers are driving the movement toward transparency on this front.

White Wine’s Upswing Is Nigh

While it was thought for many years that serious wine drinkers only drink red wine, it is now obvious that for multiple reasons white wine is finally starting to be treated with equal respect. A lot of attention is being paid to white Burgundy, Napa, and Sonoma Chardonnay, the whites of the Rhône Valley, and Riesling and other aromatic varieties from Germany, Austria, Alsace, and Alto Adige in Italy. And we’re seeing a rise in interest in premium white wine from Spain, Greece, Portugal, Croatia, New Zealand, and other Italian regions. As much as we love our steak and Cabernet Sauvignon, since we all are moving toward a lighter style of eating—at least occasionally—we are going to see our wine choices change to match.

Two Words Collide – June NZ House & Garden

If you can’t decide between wine or beer, check out Garage Project’s Savoir Faire Pinot Noir Raspberry ’18. It’s a beer/wine hybrid, made from hand-harvested Marlborough pinot noir grapes, lightly crushed, added to a specially brewed malt wort and allowed to ferment for a week before being aged in oak wine barrels then rested on fresh raspberries. 750ml $35 from garageproject.co.nz.

Something Different – July NZ House & Garden

SOUTHERN CHARMS: New to the gin game, Bluff Distillery draws inspiration from the spirit of New Zealand’s southernmost town, making gin that reflects the essence of Bluff – ‘clean, bold and unapologetically authentic’. The London Dry-style gin comes in a custom bottle in the shape of an old glass buoy, a symbol of the maritime heritage that defines this tiny town. 700ml $89.85 from bluffdistillery.com.

ROCKIN’ VERMOUTH: Central Otago distillery Scapegrace has teamed up with its wine-making neighbours, Profhet’s Rock, to produce Scapegrace x Prophet’s Rock Vermouth, available in red and white. Mostly made with local ingredients, the white vermouth is bright and herbaceous with candied floral notes, finishing woody and bitter with wild thyme and wormwood. 705ml $72 from prophetsrock.co.nz and scapegracedistilleryy.com.