Although Australians can boast a centuries-old wine industry, their neighboring Kiwis were late to the party, with winegrowing not really gaining much of a toehold until the 1960s and 1970s. The first vineyards were planted around Auckland, then in Hawkes Bay, with the now-famous Marlborough region coming on line only in the last 30 years. There are enough different microclimates in this country to warrant the planting of numerous grape varieties; that said, two have clearly emerged as the ones   More

Although Australians can boast a centuries-old wine industry, their neighboring Kiwis were late to the party, with winegrowing not really gaining much of a toehold until the 1960s and 1970s. The first vineyards were planted around Auckland, then in Hawkes Bay, with the now-famous Marlborough region coming on line only in the last 30 years. There are enough different microclimates in this country to warrant the planting of numerous grape varieties; that said, two have clearly emerged as the ones that have most captured the imagination of the world's wine drinkers: Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Many of the former are now regarded as some of the best examples of that grape anywhere, while the potential of New Zealand Pinot is still in the midst of being fully realized.   Less