Wine: New Zealand Sparkles

Alan McCorkindale, winemaker and proprietor at his eponymous winery in the Waipara Valley on New Zealand’s South Island, says that interest in the country’s sparkling wine is long overdue. He should know: His Blanc de Blancs 2009 is just about to be released; a wine which wine critic Michel Bettane, of the Academie Internationale du Vin, has declared “the best Southern Hemisphere sparkling wine that I have ever tried.” Apparently British wine critic Oz Clarke, when asked by McCorkindale to “try this”, said: “Is it champagne?”

McCorkindale is not the only one doing classy sparkling. Central Otago pioneer Rudi Bauer, of Quartz Reef, was voted New Zealand Royal Agricultural Society Winemaker of the Year in 2010. His Brut NV, and Rose NV, have a quite low dosage – meaning they could finish rather dry and austere – but his wines show the perfect balance. This represents very precise winemaking.

Another noteable mention goes to sparkling wine heavyweight, Dr Tony Jordan, who established Green Point in Australia’s Yarra Valley – Moet & Chandon’s outpost Down Under. He also consults at Akarua, also found in Central Otago. The Akarua 2010 has the delicacy of a Dom Perignon: that ‘almost there’ purity of character. It is highly sophisticated. McCorkindale comments that the wines of Central Otago, where he also has a vineyard, tend to be more elegant than those of the Waipara Valley, with a higher proportion of Pinot Noir.

In addition to the challenges of marketing sparkling wine, McCorkindale says there is an additional issue preventing more winemakers from going down this path. “It is technically more difficult to produce,” he laughs.