The New Zealand winery in the Wairau Valley in the Marlborough wine-growing region (South Island) was founded in 1985 by Australian entrepreneur David Hohnen, the former owner of Cape Mentelle in Western Australia. He thus founded the boom here. It was later sold to the champagne house Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin, which belongs to the LVMH group. The 140 hectares of vineyards are mainly planted with Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as well as smaller amounts of Riesling, Sémillon and Gewürztraminer. Grapes of other varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, are purchased from five grape-growing farms that are bound by long-term contracts.
The great success of Sauvignon Blanc (with a small amount of Sémillon), first created by cellar master Kevin Judd in 1987, contributed to New Zealand's recognition as a wine nation. This wine regularly sells out in no time. It is fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged on its lees for about two months before bottling. Other top wines include Te Koko (Sauvignon Blanc), Chardonnay, Cabernet-Merlot, Pinot Noir and Late Harvest Riesling. The sparkling wine Pelorus, first produced in 1987, is produced according to the Champagne method. The wines are exported to 20 countries.
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Thorsten Rahn
Restaurantleiter, Sommelier, Weindozent und Autor; Dresden