Wines of NZ Essay

Submitted By pmehta0920
Words: 1865
Pages: 8

The 11 wine regions of New Zealand are:
1. Auckland
2. Northland
3. Waikato/ Bay of Plenty
4. Gisborne
5. Hawke’s Bay
6. Wairapa
7. Nelson
8. Marlborough
9. Canterbury
10. Central Otago
11. Wellington

The two major regions I will be picking are:
1. Gisborne
2. Central Otago

The two sub-regions of Gisborne that I chose are:
1. Manuteke
2. Central Valley

The two sub-regions of Central Otago that I chose are:
1. Bendigo
2. Nevis

Organic Wines:
1. Carrick – Central Otago
2. Wright Vineyard & Winery - Gisborne

Bio-dynamic Wines:
1. Quartz Reef – Central Otago
2. Millton Vineyards - Gisborne

What is Organic Winemaking?

Organic wines are made from grapes that have been grown without the use of synthetic chemicals, which means no chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides or herbicides. Instead, organic producers use entirely natural products with which to feed the soil and fight pests and disease, with a major focus on increasing microbial action within the soil. (Burzynska 2009)

What is Biodynamic Winemaking?
At its most basic, the biodynamic approach to grape-growing sees the vineyard as an ecological whole: not just rows of grapevines, but the soil beneath them—an organism in its own right—and the other flora and fauna in the area, growing together interdependently.
Where biodynamic differs from other forms of organic or sustainable agriculture is in its idea that farming can be attuned to the spiritual forces of the cosmos. This might mean linking sowing and harvesting to the phases of the moon or the positions of the planets; it also might mean burying cow manure in a cow's horn over the winter, unearthing it in the spring, diluting a minute amount of the substance in 34 liters of water, "dynamiting" it by stirring it by hand in alternating directions for an hour or so and then spraying the mixture over one's vineyard. (Isle 2008)

References:

Burton, B. Irvine, D. Saker, J. Smith, F. Tyack, K. Cuisine Wine Country 2011.
Retrieved on October 9, 2014.

Burzynska, J. (2009). Wine Dictionary: Organic. Page 373.

Cooper, M. (2001). Wine Atlas of New Zealand. Pages 204 – 245

Cooper, M. (2010). Wine Atlas of New Zealand. Pages 158 – 207 & 314

Harris, C and Birrell, K. (1999). New Zealand Department of Soil, Pages 29 – 72.

Isle, R. (2008). Biodynamic. Retrieved on October 8, 2014 http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/biodynamics-the-next-trend Scoop Media. (2012). Certification: Press Release. Retrieved on Oct 8, 2014 http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1202/S00344/quartz-reef-vineyards-achieve-biodynamic-certification.htm Wood, H. (2007). Good Wine Bad Language Great Vineyards. Pages 38-43

Wild, L. (2001). Soils of the Central Valley, Gisborne. Trans. N.Z. Inst.
Pages 403 - 417

Wright Vineyards & Winery. Retrieved on October 9, 2014. http://www.wrightswines.co.nz/ The Soil of Central Otago:

Central Otago soils are moderately old (often windblown Loess), formed over successive ice ages as the glaciers ground Schist rocks to fine flour. Layers of Loess of various depths are interspersed with river gravels. Add to these sandier soils, formed by water erosion and the viticulturist has a spread of challenges and opportunities. (Cooper 2001)

The Climate of Central Otago:

Where as most of New Zealand's wine regions have a maritime climate Central Otago is as far inland as you can get with a semi-continental climate resulting in greater daily and seasonal extremes of temperature than found elsewhere in the country. Growing grapes in Central Otago is often referred to as "Vineyards on the Edge". The landscape is dominated by snow capped mountains and deep valleys centered on the Kawarua and Clutha Rivers and the man-made Lake Dunstan. The vineyards are the highest in New Zealand ranging from 200 to 400 meters above sea level; the altitude helps keep the temperatures cooler. The continental climate leads to large diurnal temperature shifts, the difference