Why is New Zealand’s wine so special?

We’re very proud of the wine produced by our fantastic wine growers and winemakers here at Chatto Creek, but just what is it that makes New Zealand wine so special? Wines out of New Zealand have been taking the world by storm for quite some time now, winning countless awards worldwide and leaving some of the more established wine producing countries asking, “where did these guys come from?”. 

One of the most important things that makes our wine here in New Zealand so special is our absolute commitment to quality and experience. We want every glass of wine that reaches a drinker’s lips to offer up that same fantastic experience and journey as if they were visiting our beautiful country. We put our heart and soul into our vines to create the finest wines that leave you wanting more, and importantly makes you want to visit our beautiful country yourself where these beautiful wines come from.

What we have down here in New Zealand is a very special combination of soil, climate, and water combined with a pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit and a ‘can do’ attitude that means we are determined to make a success out of pretty much any situation, even if it looks unlikely.

Take the Central Otago region for example. Some people said that the cold climate and its location as the southernmost wine growing region in the world would mean that growing good grapes would be tricky. Well, we sure showed them as the Central Otago region is considered as one of the best Pinot Noir producing regions in the world.

New Zealand Wine Styles

Despite producing less than 1% of the world’s wines, New Zealand offers an impressive array of varieties and styles. We of course have a couple of standout varieties; Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region and Pinot Noir from the Central Otago region but there is much more to our wine making than these two varieties. Across the North and South Islands, you will find varieties grown in varying quantities, but all lovingly produced to the high standard you would come to expect from New Zealand wines:

Sauvignon Blanc was the wine that first put New Zealand on the wine lover's map, however thanks to the differing climates in the North and South Island, we can successfully grow all these varieties in superb conditions. Sauvignon Blanc currently accounts for around 58% of New Zealand’s total wine production followed by Pinot Noir (15%), Aromatics (10%) and Chardonnay (9%).

New Zealand wine growing regions

You can keep up to date with the different wine growing regions across New Zealand in our series of blogs. Our latest post looks at the Central Otago region where most wine growers in the Chatto Creek wine growers are based. You can also check out our Wine Growing Regions webpage where you will find an overview of each of the regions throughout New Zealand and learn more about the climate, soil, and growing conditions across the country.

Passion for wine

What truly makes New Zealand wine special, and this applies to the wine from Chatto Creek Wines vineyards is the passion of the viticulturists and wine makers themselves. We are all deeply passionate about producing the best possible premium wine to share with the rest of the world and we are pleased to be able to bring some of our finest wine to the UK.

Make sure you follow our regular blog posts for updates on New Zealand wine growing regions, the wine growing process throughout the year and tips on getting the most out of your wine.