Unit 17 of 26 · Online wine course

New Zealand Wine Course

Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough and Central Otago. 6 lessons · about 46 min

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This unit is included with Premium ($3.99 a month, 3 days free) or the course for life ($39.99 once).

The 6 lessons

  1. New Zealand at a glance: pure, cool and bright

    Why New Zealand's wines taste bright and fresh: a cool, sea-shaped climate, two long islands, a young industry, and a small country that exports almost everything.

    You will be able to:

    • explain why New Zealand wines taste bright and fresh
    • describe how the sea shapes New Zealand's climate
    • recall key dates and the scale of New Zealand wine
    about 7 min

  2. The grapes of New Zealand: Sauvignon Blanc and more

    Sauvignon Blanc fills about two thirds of New Zealand's vineyards, Pinot Noir is the main red, and warm Hawke's Bay is home to Syrah and Bordeaux-style blends.

    You will be able to:

    • rank New Zealand's top grapes by vineyard area
    • describe how Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir taste here
    • match each key grape to its home region
    about 8 min

  3. Marlborough: New Zealand's Sauvignon Blanc heartland

    Why Marlborough's sunny days and cool nights make such vivid Sauvignon Blanc, how its three valleys differ, how the wine is made, and how subregion names step up the price ladder.

    You will be able to:

    • explain how sun, cool nights and winemaking shape the style
    • tell the Wairau, Southern Valleys and Awatere apart
    • place Marlborough bottles on the price ladder
    about 8 min

  4. Central Otago and Hawke's Bay: Pinot, blends and Syrah

    Dry, inland Central Otago makes ripe Pinot Noir, while warm, sunny Hawke's Bay makes Bordeaux-style red blends and Syrah, especially on the stony Gimblett Gravels.

    You will be able to:

    • describe Central Otago's continental climate and its Pinot Noir
    • contrast Gibbston and Bannockburn Pinot Noir styles
    • explain Hawke's Bay blends, Syrah and the Gimblett Gravels
    about 8 min

  5. Reading a New Zealand label: what the law promises

    How to read a New Zealand label: the 85 per cent rule, the records behind it, protected place names (GIs), a growers' Marlborough mark and the clues on the bottle.

    You will be able to:

    • explain what the 85 per cent rule covers
    • describe what a GI promises and what it does not
    • read a New Zealand label line by line
    about 8 min

  6. Choosing New Zealand wine: Sauvignon Blanc and beyond

    A practical guide to New Zealand wine: which Sauvignon to pick, the whites and reds beyond it, what to order with which dish, and how to buy well.

    You will be able to:

    • choose a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc by style
    • tell fruity Central Otago Pinot from savoury Martinborough Pinot
    • match New Zealand bottles to dishes and buy well
    about 7 min

Related reading on Winelingo: Wine of New Zealand