Vintage Report
“Recommended” by TripAdvisor, Lonely Planet, Frommer’s, Fodors, Rough Guides.
Dear wine-friends,
At the time of writing, this year’s record harvest will be starting in starting late February and ending late May/June. We are harvesting around two weeks earlier this year, due to a longer, hotter and dryer summer. So look for some very good Syrah, Merlot and other reds from a long, hot Hawkes Bay ripening season.
New Zealand’s wine exports have reached record levels – with New Zealand wine now our largest export after our agricultural products.
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is still by far our largest harvested and exported variety at 169,000 tonnes. New Zealand Pinot Noir is our second most grown grape variety (32,880 tonnes), and steadily gaining a reputation as one of the world’s best. Our other major varieties are Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Merlot. And another varieties showing large increases in popularity and production are Pinot Gris and Viognier.
So look out for our great New Zealand wines from 2011 when they hit the overseas markets.
And when you’re thinking about wine tours in Auckland New Zealand, remember – Fine Wine Tours is the one recommended by TripAdvisor, Frommer’s, Fodors, Lonely Planet and Rough Guides.
I have been hosting Auckland wine tours for over ten years as a one-man operation and enjoy meeting guests from all over the World.
I have had many guests lately from USA, UK, Australia and Japan – and also some of our cousins from Canada.
Please feel free to email me with any wine questions regarding New Zealand wines, and I’ll do my best to answer your enquiry promptly.
Join Fine Wine Tours Auckland on a relaxing, scenic and informative wine tasting tour package to prestige wineries. We are the specialists for small, guided vineyard tours in Auckland New Zealand. I cover wine tasting tours all of Auckland’s wine regions – Kumeu West Auckland, Matakana North Auckland and Waiheke Island.