The land most Americans came to know via The Lord of the Rings is home to some great wines as well as spectacular scenery. Sauvignon Blanc is grown in most New Zealand wine regions, but is especially notable in Marlborough, where it makes wines that set the New World standard for that variety. Other grape varieties commonly grown in New Zealand include Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Merlot.Wine Enthusiast’s New Zealand wine guide features thousands of New Zealand wine reviews from all over the country, including Hawkes Bay and Martinborough on the North Island and Marlborough, Nelson, Waipara and Central Otago on the South Island. Search our Buying Guide to find New Zealand wine ratings from all of your favorite producers.New Zealand is a fascinating place for all kinds of reasons, but wine is the defining factor that brings in tourists from across the globe. As a people, Kiwis are ambitious and self-effacing. This handy combination defines their winemakers to a tee.

Though 85% of their wine production revolves around one single grape (sauvignon blanc) and though this grape gave New Zealand its global foothold, much of it is lackluster juice. Pinot noir, rather, will cement the region’s place among the world’s great winemaking countries, and as you’ll see in this list, it’s what excites me the most.wine and beer parties New Zealand’s pinot noir wines are coming of age right now. best italian wine to buyWinemakers have refined their techniques, and new ideas are starting to build with convincing groundswell. one hope wine partyVine age is their ultimate trump card, and this is just kicking in at a critical mass. good wine to drink with dessert

In fact, vine age is adding to the quality across many wine styles, and producers who’ve been in the game longer and stuck at it are reaping the rewards. This means that pinot noir, chardonnay, syrah, cabernet and merlot-based reds, riesling and even sauvignon blanc are all reaching greater heights of quality than previously seen. The Top 10 wines this year are dominated by pinot noir, and the pick of them is the 2013 Bell Hill Pinot Noir from Waikari, my New Zealand Wine of the Year for 2016. best red wine quotesA layered, concentrated and profound expression from Sherwyn Veldhuizen and Marcel Giesen’s tiny close-planted vineyard has so much to say. where to buy ice wine in the ukComing in at No. 2 is a rare New Zealand syrah that reaches the very pinnacle of quality. best wine but cheap

The 2014 Trinity Hill Homage is an essay in complex, cooler-climate syrah with seamless structure and deeply compelling character. It has a bright future for those that get some in the cellar. In fact, all of these wines, and the wines of New Zealand, have a bright future. They are defined by exceptional quality and consistency, and in the coming years, New Zealand’s best producers are only going to get better. how late can you buy wine in dc—Nick Stock, Contributing Editorbest sweet wine to order at a restaurant 1Bell Hill Pinot Noir Waikari 2Trinity Hill Syrah Hawke's Bay Homage 3Felton Road Pinot Noir Central Otago Block 3 4Ata Rangi Pinot Noir Martinborough 5Escarpment Pinot Noir Martinborough Pahi 6Escarpment Pinot Noir Martinborough Kupe 7Rippon Pinot Noir Central Otago Mature Vine

8Two Paddocks Pinot Noir Central Otago 9Felton Road Pinot Noir Central Otago Bannockburn Rippon Gewürztraminer Central Otago Te Mata Estate Hawke's Bay Coleraine Te Mata Estate Syrah Hawke's Bay Bullnose Kumeu River Chardonnay Kumeu Hunting Hill Kumeu River Chardonnay Kumeu Mate's Vineyard Rippon Pinot Noir Central Otago Tinker's Field Giesen Pinot Noir Marlborough SVS Clayvin Ata Rangi Pinot Noir Martinborough Crimson Dog Point Pinot Noir Marlborough Craggy Range Pinot Noir Martinborough Aroha Bell Hill Chardonnay Waikari Ata Rangi Pinot Noir Martinborough McCrone Vineyard Craggy Range Syrah Hawke's Bay Le Sol Tony Bish Chardonnay Hawke's Bay Skeetfield Vineyard Escarpment Pinot Noir Martinborough Kiwa Mammoth Sauvignon Blanc Nelson Rare White Neudorf Chardonnay Nelson Moutere Burn Cottage Pinot Noir Central Otago Two Paddocks Pinot Noir Central Otago The Fusilier Two Paddocks Pinot Noir Central Otago Last Chance

Quartz Reef Pinot Noir Central Otago Bendigo Estate Matua Valley Syrah Hawke's Bay Single Vineyard Matheson Craggy Range Hawke's Bay Sophia Villa Maria Hawke's Bay Ngakirikiri Kumeu River Chardonnay Kumeu Coddington Clos Henri Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough Name Me Kevin Judd Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough Greywacke Wild Kevin Judd Pinot Noir Marlborough Greywacke Te Whare Ra Riesling Marlborough M Dog Point Chardonnay Marlborough Greenhough Sauvignon Blanc Nelson Hope Vineyard Mahana Sauvignon Blanc Nelson Clays & Gravels Greenhough Pinot Noir Nelson Hope Vineyard Tongue In Groove Pinot Noir North Canterbury Cabal Vineyard Bell Hill Pinot Noir Waikari Old Weka Pass Road Valli Pinot Noir Central Otago Bannockburn Vineyard Valli Pinot Noir Central Otago Burn Cottage Vineyard Valli Pinot Noir Central Otago Bendigo Vineyard Felton Road Chardonnay Central Otago Bannockborn Kumeu River Chardonnay Kumeu Estate