Types of wine

New Zealand is world famous for producing delicious wines. What’s remarkable about our small country’s wine industry is the wide range of wines available. From light and aromatic whites to rich and robust reds, you can find a locally made wine that matches your palette and preferred flavour profile.

Even within each wine variety, New Zealand’s different regions, soil types and climates produce a stunning array of flavours. For example, a New Zealand made Sauvignon Blanc can be aromatic with light flavours of crisp green apple, all the way through to a more mouth-filling flavour of rich pineapple and passionfruit.

Want to know more, or not sure where to start? Talk to an expert in your local New World Wine department, and they will be happy to help you make a stand-out selection.

Primarily we produce wines in New Zealand that are a reflection of the varietal character and for the most part are one variety dominant, for example Chardonnay. Within a variety there can be a huge range of variation on aromas and flavours created by the different regions, soil types and climates. Sauvignon Blanc can vary from the crisp green herbal though to the more mouth filling richer flavours of pineapple and passionfruit with huge range in between.

White wines

There are huge variations and some white wines taste sweeter than others because even though they have the same sugar level, the fruit reminds us of sweet flavours. For example, Sauvignon Blanc often reminds us of flavours of fresh herbs and red capsicum, while Pinot Gris will remind us of ripe fresh pear. Both wines will be as sweet as each other in the amounts of sugar they have, but the Pinot Gris will appear to have a sweeter flavour.

Dry white wines

By definition, a dry white wine is a wine that’s not sweet. It’s all to do with the fermentation process and removing the residual sugars. But, the absence of sweetness does not mean the absence of fruit. Choosing a dry white wine means you’ll taste bold fruit flavours, only without the sugary sweetness. Dry white wine varieties include:

Medium white wines

These wines are slightly sweet when you first taste them and will leave a rich, slightly sweet aftertaste. These wines often have “medium” or “off dry” on the label. Varieties include:

Sweet white wines

These wines are very sweet and luscious and will often have on the label “Noble”, “Late Harvest”, “Late Pick” and “Botrytis”. These terms tell you a little about how the wine is made. Late harvesting is where the grapes are left to over-ripen and shrivel slightly on the vine, which concentrates the sugar level.

New Zealand winemakers can allow the fungus Botrytis Cinerea, also known as Noble Rot to infest the grape bunches. This fungus shrivels the grapes, reducing the water content and intensifying the sugar concentration.

As a side effect, the Noble Rot also introduces flavours of ginger and honey, making it common in the production of dessert wines. 

Crisp white wines

Fruity white wines

Red wine

You may be surprised to learn that the juice from many red grapes is actually clear. The red colours you find in your wine bottle can come from leaving the pressed grape juice in contact with the grape skins.

Red wine is home to a variety of flavours, ranging from delicate to the incredibly rich and robust. In addition to the different flavours, red wines also contain a compound called tannin. Tannin is the product that provides the astringent character in black tea and will make the wine 'taste' bigger and fuller in your mouth.

Dry red wines

Sweet red wines

Lighter bodied red wines

These wines are softer and are often less intense to taste. Varieties include:

Sparkling wines

Sparkling wines are made throughout the world and the most famous are from the Champagne region in France. Of course, to be called ‘Champagne,’ the sparkling wine must be produced in that popular French region. As a result, you can find a number of very enjoyable sparkling wines without the premium 'Champagne' brand.

How to choose wine

In New Zealand we are simply spoiled for choice with the range of incredible, locally produced wine on offer. Both the varieties of wine grown here, and the sheer number of Kiwi vineyards available mean you have a number of starting points for finding a great wine for any occasion.