Why are New Zealand white wines so good!

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TheGreenGoblin
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Why are New Zealand white wines so good!

#1 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Sat Feb 15, 2020 1:11 am

Sipping a glass of Cloudy Bay (not even a premiere wine) and wondering how it is that this bunch of bloody sheep farmers have got the white wine thing so right?

Anybody, New Zealanders included, care to opine?
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Re: Why are New Zealand white wines so good!

#2 Post by ExSp33db1rd » Sat Feb 15, 2020 1:18 am

More a beer man myself, and NZ has some good beers of the IPA variety, that taste similar to UK Best Bitters ( of various brands ) i.e. not the universal Lager taste, which I abhor. Even make a couple of passable zero alcohol brands, when demand dictates.

Mrs. ExS is more of a Wino, and with a once vast experience of California brands, has no objection to NZ Sauvignon Blancs, and a couple of Reds.

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Re: Why are New Zealand white wines so good!

#3 Post by Pontius Navigator » Sat Feb 15, 2020 9:38 am

TGG, probably drink more NZ whites than Chilean and Kruger, usually Marlborough, Lay of the Land.

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Re: Why are New Zealand white wines so good!

#4 Post by ian16th » Sat Feb 15, 2020 11:28 am

As a red wine drinker who normally equates white wines to animal by products. When we visited the Land of the Long White Cloud, I too discovered that they made drinkable white wines.

Something I've not found elsewhere.
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Re: Why are New Zealand white wines so good!

#5 Post by Rwy in Sight » Sat Feb 15, 2020 7:09 pm

ian16th wrote:
Sat Feb 15, 2020 11:28 am
As a red wine drinker who normally equates white wines to animal by products. When we visited the Land of the Long White Cloud, I too discovered that they made drinkable white wines.

Something I've not found elsewhere.
Sort of thread drift: I am a red wine drinker (although currently I am on my dry month) and I shared the same views on white wine. Several years ago I discovered by accident that some rose wines are excellent and definitely worth my attention.

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Re: Why are New Zealand white wines so good!

#6 Post by FD2 » Sat Feb 15, 2020 7:23 pm

The winemakers and authorities here take the quality control business extremely seriously. A company based not far from here was fined megabucks recently for exporting cheap wine and pretending it was better quality stuff.

A good quality Otago pinot noir is expensive but really worth the extra price. The local Waipara wineries nearby produce excellent quality pinot gris, sauvignon blanc from the likes of Pegasus Bay and Waipara Hill and will give you an excellent lunch into the bargain when you've tasted a few. Marlborough has long been established as a centre of excellence since Cloudy Bay penetrated the British market.

The country doesn't go in for 'big reds' but they travel well from over the Tasman if that's one's taste (like mine), though sadly some of this year's have been wrecked by the smoke, if not burnt to a crisp. I think the summers are not reliable enough and maybe even the ground itself perhaps, for them.

The Kiwis pride themselves on their craft beers and produce beer for every taste from Belgian style extra strength 8-} to non-alcoholic :-o , like a very good wheat beer I tried recently which tasted great and didn't send me off to sleep after a family lunch! Long gone are the days of a couple of pints at lunchtime followed by an afternoon's work then back to the bar in the evening! The Golden Bay/Nelson area grows and exports a great variety of hops, though a few over-hopped IPA brews are not to my liking. http://beertravelist.com/nelson-new-zea ... g-capital/

Gone are the days of European domination, as New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Argentina, Chile, California and a few others are producing quality wines themselves. Apart from when I was actually in France, I haven't drunk a reasonably priced bottle of French wine for donkey's years that I enjoyed - maybe they just exported the rubbish to 'les anglais' for too long and the wine 'afficionados' have cottoned on at last to the joke. :-?

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Re: Why are New Zealand white wines so good!

#7 Post by Pontius Navigator » Sat Feb 15, 2020 7:46 pm

When Dau 2 got married we went to France to bring back a few dozen bottles. We tasted a number and returned with some ultra cheap sparkling wine - Pol Remy - ideal when cut with Kir and several cases of Australian reds and NZ whites.

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Re: Why are New Zealand white wines so good!

#8 Post by Fliegenmong » Sun Feb 16, 2020 6:50 am

I refuse to drink NZ White wines for no other reason than there are way too many disrespectful arrogant violent NZers living here...pure and simple...I don't support their criminal lifestyle and their domestic violence.

I don't support them with car stickers that say 'QueeNZlander', and display a kangaroo with a 'Silverfern tail'...violent criminals who clearly refuse to assimilate....much like another bunch of certain people that cause the civilised world such grief...
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Re: Why are New Zealand white wines so good!

#9 Post by FD2 » Sun Feb 16, 2020 7:35 am

I thought you had repatriated all the bad ones Flieg. Gang violence has escalated dramatically in New Zealand over the last couple of years as witnessed by the shootings in Tauranga a couple of days ago.

Unfortunately New Zealand is stuck with their thugs and the Government is a bit of a soft touch here. Thanks for turning the Goblin's thread into a personal rant though and good luck with your protest.

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Re: Why are New Zealand white wines so good!

#10 Post by John Hill » Sun Feb 16, 2020 8:18 am

Fliegenmong, you must understand that respect is to be earned and must not be demanded.
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Re: Why are New Zealand white wines so good!

#11 Post by Rwy in Sight » Sun Feb 16, 2020 8:32 am

John Hill wrote:
Sun Feb 16, 2020 8:18 am
Fliegenmong, you must understand that respect is to be earned and must not be demanded.
One of the few things I remember from High School.

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Re: Why are New Zealand white wines so good!

#12 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Sun Feb 16, 2020 9:49 am

Fliegenmong wrote:
Sun Feb 16, 2020 6:50 am
I refuse to drink NZ White wines for no other reason than there are way too many disrespectful arrogant violent NZers living here...pure and simple...I don't support their criminal lifestyle and their domestic violence.

I don't support them with car stickers that say 'QueeNZlander', and display a kangaroo with a 'Silverfern tail'...violent criminals who clearly refuse to assimilate....much like another bunch of certain people that cause the civilised world such grief...
I guess that one shouldn't judge all of a nation"s people on the basis of a couple of bad apples that may live in your community. I see that you are not enamoured of South Africans in Australia either as evidenced by your comments on another thread. Do you boycott their wine as well? : =))

I note that NZ is also a big importer of Australian wines, many of which are excellent too although this year's harvest may have been compromised by smoke damage.

Anyway less of the whine and more of the wine, preferably from New Zealand as it is excellent. ;)))

Air New Zealand choose their fine wines this way...

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Re: Why are New Zealand white wines so good!

#13 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Sun Feb 16, 2020 10:20 am

Looking at this site inclines one to visit the country as well as drink its wines...

It looks like a beautiful place...

https://www.nzwine.com/

Being an old Marist boy myself perhaps I should favour wines from the Hawkes Bay region...

"Grape vines were first planted in the Hawke's Bay in 1851 by Marist missionaries, their legacy is Taradale’s historic Mission Winery."

https://missionestate.co.nz/

Good to know that the Marists started the NZ wine industry! :) The French seeded the industry in so many parts of the world.

I note that the guy who heads up Mission Estate is a South African immigrant. Initially due to the predictive text that read Short African immigrant! =))
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Re: Why are New Zealand white wines so good!

#14 Post by Woody » Sun Feb 16, 2020 10:29 am

I did several wine tours , around Nelson and Marlborough, just wish I could remember which ones, think one was owned by a producer of Lord of the Rings and was organic apart from that complete blur :))
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Re: Why are New Zealand white wines so good!

#15 Post by Pontius Navigator » Sun Feb 16, 2020 1:24 pm

Ah yes, I am out of Hawkes Bay, thanks for the reminder.

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Re: Why are New Zealand white wines so good!

#16 Post by Fliegenmong » Mon Feb 17, 2020 8:42 am

I thought you had repatriated all the bad ones Flieg. Gang violence has escalated dramatically in New Zealand over the last couple of years as witnessed by the shootings in Tauranga a couple of days ago.

Unfortunately New Zealand is stuck with their thugs and the Government is a bit of a soft touch here. Thanks for turning the Goblin's thread into a personal rant though and good luck with your protest.


You've had gang violence for years in NZ

Fliegenmong, you must understand that respect is to be earned and must not be demanded.


Which is why we repatriate the violent thugs that demand respect, John

I see that you are not enamoured of South Africans in Australia

You are correct in saying it is wrong to Judge all by a few bad apples, but goodness me I am astonished at how many incredibly rude South Africans I have met. It seems simple courtesies such as please andd thank you are dispensed with and orders shouted like you are some sort of second class citizen in your own country. Just my experience.

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Re: Why are New Zealand white wines so good!

#17 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Mon Feb 17, 2020 10:24 am

Fliegenmong wrote:
Mon Feb 17, 2020 8:42 am

You are correct in saying it is wrong to Judge all by a few bad apples, but goodness me I am astonished at how many incredibly rude South Africans I have met. It seems simple courtesies such as please andd thank you are dispensed with and orders shouted like you are some sort of second class citizen in your own country. Just my experience.

Kiwis & Yarpies (?)eed to get their vowel sounds righ! :))
Fliegs, I perceive from some of your posts that you love the sea and surf etc. so you may have a dark tan! You know how racist some Staffers are? Just saying! i =))

As for the vowels... :)
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Re: Why are New Zealand white wines so good!

#18 Post by FD2 » Mon Feb 17, 2020 10:29 am

Yes - there has been gang violence in New Zealand for years mong - I never said there wasn't and I don't blame Australians for deporting the bad ones both to here and to the UK, that I know of. It's probably lowered the Australian IQ considerably but that's just the price you will have to pay. Tackling your own home grown convict descended variety of criminals will be more difficult as you'll have to take some real constructive actions instead. Every country has its problems with the sort of thugs you so eloquently describe.

In general the Australians I have met over the years have been loud mouthed and suffering from inferiority complexes but I'm sure they were just the odd exceptions. Do you have those 'boong bars' fitted to your SUV for when you're out driving in the bush? That really made me laugh when an Aussie told me about them. :))

Your cricket team's obnoxious behaviour at the cricket world cup final in Melbourne also confirmed my opinion and the sledging and crowd abuse the team got in South Africa was so well deserved. I could supply you with some good quality sandpaper to pass on to your cricketers if you like...but that's now an old trick best forgotten isn't it? The crocodile tears they shed after being caught out fooled no one. :^o

What's in an accent? Very important to those of a juvenile okker disposition I guess. i-)

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Re: Why are New Zealand white wines so good!

#19 Post by Pontius Navigator » Mon Feb 17, 2020 10:38 am

SA, we were in a supermarket in Cape Town, an older white woman at the checkout wanted to top up her mobile phone but didn't know how (I emphasize with that). She demanded the young black checkout do it. She did. Then she accused of perhaps taking her money and not crediting the phone.

I have never experienced such deliberate rudeness before. Casual unthinking rudeness yes, but never such deliberate behaviour.

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Re: Why are New Zealand white wines so good!

#20 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Mon Feb 17, 2020 10:52 am

Some white South Africans can be insufferable I agree (quite the opposite of New Zealand white wines). At the threat of drifting this thread so far off course that we will lose the bibulous track here, I wrote the following message to the South African owner of a Buddhist wellbeing retreat in Simons Town this very morning after her atrocious abuse of a British tourist who she deemed to have come too close to one of the smelly braying penguins they seem to judge superior to blacks and foreigners there...
I wonder what potential wellbeing novices and devotees would think of being inspired by a woman whose Karmic angst and anger management problems were so clearly evident in her violent abuse of an innocent tourist on the beach in Simons Town recently?

The aggressive, almost insane, abuse of the tourist who happened to stray too close to a penguin recently is the talk of the town amongst penguins and tourists all the way from the Antarctic to London.

Never has a wellbeing practitioner's Ying been so thoroughly Yanged. Maybe it is time for the lady practitioner to cool it and consider her loss of control and the rights of both penguins and tourists!
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