Select at least one filter to refine your wine search Latest Wine Tasting Results Winemaking is still fairly new to New Zealand. Yet after only a couple decades, Kiwi winemakers are already producing wines that are consistently lauded by international experts. In 2002, American wine guru Robert Parker declared a Felton Road 1997 Pinot Noir as one of the top 3 wines in a blind tasting of Burgundy reds. (And this from a man who has been a vocal critic of New Zealand wines…) In April 2003, Wine Spectator rated central Otago as one of the top 5 most exciting New World wine regions. And now the up-and-coming Hawke’s Bay Shiraz is rivaling even the best Australian Shirazes. So what on earth is going on here? Otago is one of the four major wine-producing areas in the country (along with the Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay and Auckland regions). Many experts attribute the oenological successes of Otago wines to the extreme temperatures experienced by the region. (Strangely, they argue that the frigid winters and blistering summers are actually beneficial to winemaking…)

Search for award-winning wines from the Air New Zealand Wine Awards. You may search by keyword, award type, variety, region, vintage, price and award year (or a combination thereof) using the controls on this page. The search covers awards since 2005.If you prefer, you may browse the award-winning wines by wine style or variety.You can also view a one page guide that provides an overview of the meaning of the medals Tasting notes are courtesy of Sam Kim, Wine-Orbit. The Trophy Awards: These are awarded to the top wine in each variety. Once the gold medals have been decided for each variety judges hold a taste-off comparing all of the gold medal wines to decide the ultimate category winner.Trophies are awarded for Champion Wine of the Show, Reserve Wine of Show (replacing Sustainable Wine trophy in 2012), Best Open White Wine, Best Open Red Wine, Best Exhibition White or Sparkling Wine and Best Exhibition Red Wine as well as the 13 individual variety trophies.To be awarded the Champion Wine of the Show, Best Open White Wine, Best Open Red wine or one of the 13 varietal trophies each winery must have at least 250 cases of the wine entered available for sale at the time of the award announcement.

To enter the Exhibition category a winery must have a minimum of 50 cases of wine available for sale at the time of the award announcement.A wine wins a medal when it reaches the medal standard, determined by the score it receives from the panels of judges. Each wine is marked out of twenty based on the following system: Elite gold medal: Outstanding quality (19 and above out of 20 points) Gold medal: Excellent quality (18.5 – 18.99 out of 20 points) Silver medal: Very good quality (17–18.49 out of 20 points) Bronze medal: Good quality (15.5 –16.99 out of 20 points)Each wine entered is tasted ‘blind’, that is, it is recognizable to judges only by a unique code it has been given rather than by name or label. Wines are tasted in classes and sub-classes so that judges taste similar wines at the same time. The wines are tasted and judged by senior judges and associate(s). The wine is then discussed at the end of the scoring and in some cases re-assessed by the panel leader and/or the Chair of Judges.

The wine is given a score and this is entered into the system under its unique code. Associates’ scores are not counted in the final judging but their comments are welcomed in discussion. Judging dates for the 2016 Air New Zealand Wine Awards are 17-19 October.To be considered for the Open category, a wine must have more than 2,500 cases available for sale when the awards are announced in November of the judging year. dry white wine 7 lettersThe Limited category is for wines with a minimum of 250 cases. box of wine funnyThe Exhibition category is for wines with a minimum of 50 cases available. best wine deals nzEntries in the Open, Limited and Exhibition Classes are eligible for medals and the Reserve Wine of the Show trophy. best wines under 20 bc

Wines entered in the Open and Limited categories are eligible for the varietal/style trophies and the Champion Wine of the Show. Wines entered in the Exhibition Category are eligible for the Exhibition trophies. If you have difficulty obtaining any of the wines, please contact the winery directly.Wineries are asked to supply a recommended retail price for all wines entered into the awards. wine for sale chinaPrices do vary between various retail outlets, cellar door sales and direct marketing offers and therefore can not be guaranteed. best cheap bc white wineAll prices quoted are in New Zealand dollars.Viva's Top 50 Wines for 2016 Viva wine editor Jo Burzynska selects the ultimate wine list for 2016 Every year the task of choosing my top bottles becomes more exciting, and more daunting, given there’s such a wealth of wines worthy of being named a winner.

After literally tasting thousands over the past 12 months, however, I’ve finally arrived at the fantastic 50 that I believe deliver the most character over a range of styles, regions, producers and price points. As in previous years it’s been interesting to note the themes reflected in my final selection. When I started to write up this year’s list, I was struck by just how many were made organically or biodynamically, which, after crunching the figures, I found account for 40 per cent of the total. These ranged from more expensive wines to humbler bottles, proof that not only the category is coming of age, but is punching well above its weight in terms of quality and character. Of the remaining wines, 42 per cent were certified by Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) and just 16 per cent, largely overseas labels, possessed no environmental credentials. Standards across the board were incredibly high. Within our top two varieties, sauvignon blanc and pinot noir, I was again spoiled for choice.

Each could have had a top 50 all to themselves, with more serious sauvignons emerging and pinot noirs gaining depth and distinctiveness through a combination of winemaker experience and vine age. Other categories that really impressed this year included chardonnay, which offered an abundance of fantastic examples that can regularly be had for prices that belie their quality. The series of strong vintages from Hawke’s Bay now on the market also shone. And from overseas, the past year has seen a growing availability of the new wave of impressive wines coming out of Australia, which has injected additional interest into what’s on offer from the country. It’s a great time to be enjoying wine in New Zealand! Pick of the Crop Rewarding Reds and Roses Sensational Sparkling and Sweet New Openings: Bars and Eateries to Try Around Auckland 28/4/17Friday April 28, 2017 More Food & Drink / Wine & Drink New Openings: Bars and Eateries to Try Around Auckland 28/4/17