Top 8 New Zealand Wines You’ll Love in 2021
New Zealand wines are all the rage right now, especially if you’re planning to give a bottle (or more) as a gift. They all have individuality, character, and unique flavour profile, so they offer something distinctively kiwi.
Here are the 8 absolute best wine gifts NZ for 2021. They are sure to knock your socks off, no matter what type of wine lover you are.
- Supernatural Wine Co. Green Glow Sauvignon Blanc 2015
Sauvignon blanc lovers will flip over Green Glow 2015. It’s a vintage bottle from Hawke’s Bay’s Supernatural Wine Co. The winemaker used a skin-contact process that gives this wine a beautiful texture that will entice your palate on multiple levels.
It’s quite zesty with marmalade, orangey fragrance and a deep, chewy taste in your mouth. You will absolutely love its energetic finish. When it comes to wine gifts NZ, sauvignon blanc can’t get better than this.
- Region: Hawke's Bay
- Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
- Volume: 750ml
- Food Match: Chicken dishes or lemony fish, plus an acidic cheese like feta or goat cheese
The Giesen Estate Merlot 2013 is a juicy, textural dark cherry and plum fruit-filled red Merlot wine with hints of cedar, mocha, and cassis. It’s a supple, smooth, and delectable wine with fine tannins that lend themselves beautifully to food. Try it with a barbecued leg of lamb or steak.
- Region: Hawke's Bay
- Varietal: Merlot
- Volume: 750ml
- Food Match: Steak, beef, or barbecued leg of lamb.
- Kelly Washington Pinot Blanc 2018
Tamra Kelly-Washington is one of the biggest names in the wine gifts NZ scene. Her work at Seresin certainly speaks for itself. Of Kelly Washington’s oenophile work, this 2018’s Pinot Blanc scores top marks. It’s deliciously rich, oaky, and buttery with complex notes and a slightly heavy body. It’s a touch sweet, too.
- Region: Rapaura, Marlborough
- Varietal: Pinot Blanc
- Volume: 750ml
- Food Match: Rich seafood dishes and grilled chicken
Waipara Hills has cut a niche for being the ultimate source of Chardonnay varietals. And the Waipara Chardonnay 2018 is the crème de la crème. The subtle oaky taste marries well with the peach and nectarine flavours. Nothing beats that crisp and dry finish of this bubbly.
- Region: Waipara Valley
- Varietal: Chardonnay
- Volume: 750ml
- Food Match: Creamy pasta, white meats, or seafood.
- Ted By Mount Edward Central Otago Rosé 2019
If you’ve got a thing for rosés, then Ted By Mount Edward Rosé NV will make for easy summer sipping. Its salmon-pink colour is quite a sight. The fruity and savoury complexity are well-balanced by the freshness and decent body.
- Region: Central Otago
- Varietal: Pinot Noir
- Volume: 750ml
- Food Match: Fresh green salads, duck, or lightly grilled seafood
This delicious pinot from Shingle Peak has an aroma of dark red and violets of cherry and plum. It’s soft on your palate with a fruity, oaky, and well-balanced tannin profile.
- Region: Marlborough
- Varietal: Pinot Noir
- Volume: 750ml
- Food Match: Oily/meaty fish
Marlborough’s iconic masterpiece, The Ned Sauvignon Blanc is young at heart and crisp to your taste buds. It boasts an eclectic flavour profile that includes grapefruit and passion. They pair well with the signature Waihopai minerality.
- Region: Marlborough
- Varietal: Sauv Blanc
- Volume: 750ml
- Food Match: Green veggies and oysters
- Mount Edward Gamay
Mount Edward Gamay is a boozy, light red wine from organic farms in Bannockburn, Central Otago. It has a herbal taste with fruity flavours and nice texture. Best served chilled
- Region: Central Otago
- Varietal: Gamay
- Volume: 750ml
- Food Match: Fruit desserts
