In Praise of Kiwi Juice
Over the past few months, while I’ve been stationed in New Zealand with my husband’s family, I’ve been contemplating the double-edged sword of basing one’s reputation on doing one thing extremely well. That can be true not only for a person, but also for a place. Ask virtually anyone what wine they would expect to drink in New Zealand and the words “sauvignon blanc” come tumbling out faster than you can unscrew a cap.
New Zealand’s sauvignon blancs have been such a hit over the past few decades that the country’s entire export strategy was built upon their back. Pinot noir, the second most planted grape variety here, is another key pillar of New Zealand’s image, its juicy fruit and electric brightness making it the perfect red counterpart to Marlborough sauvignon. The flip side of that monstrous success is that New Zealand’s countless other beautiful varieties get short shrift in the media and most people will never think to try them. And I am here to tell you that would be a huge shame. The wines are glorious today and will,
