Tag: Toi Toi

New Zealand is well-known for producing fresh vibrant Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir wines; both cool climate grapes.  But with global warming warmer climate grapes like Chardonnay, Merlot, and Syrah are also successfully grown and produce quality wines in New Zealand.  Recently I attended a New Zealand trade tasting, and many of my favourite wines were Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot…

Did you know the first recorded planting of grapevines in New Zealand was at the Bay of Islands in 1819?  Wine was being made by Scottish, French, and Croatians making a new life in New Zealand.  But powdery mildew, phylloxera, and prohibitionists together brought a halt to wine production.  In the early and mid-1900’s wine production grew very slowly, but the…