An Overview on New Zealand Winemaking Industry and the Chinese Wine Market

Photo & Text :Maxime LU

Source: ProWine China

In February, I was invited to visit most major wine regions in New Zealand. During the visit, I visited some chateaus with different styles and attended Regional Wines Tastings, which presented a complete picture of the southern-most wine producing country in the world. New Zealand wines feature consistent quality and reasonable price. They are lively, pure and full-bodied. They have clean aromas and distinctive characters. In particular, they boast of rich diversity, which is openly criticized by a lot of Chinese wine enthusiasts.

New Zealand stretches roughly 1,600 km from the North Island (36° S) to Central Otago (47° S), the world’s southern-most wine region. The country has a maritime climate, with all vineyards lying less than 130 km to the coast. Plenty of sunshine in the daytime and cool sea breeze at night result in big temperature difference in many wine regions, offering ideal production conditions for the growth of wine grapes. Being a coastal country, New Zealand rarely has extreme weather conditions. In addition, due to frequent crustal activities (numerous earthquakes and volcanoes), the change of river channels and human factors, New Zealand has complicated ground features and landforms, diverse soil constitutions as well as extremely different microclimates in different parcels. All these terroirs guarantee the diversity of local wines.

Another aspect worth noting is that grape planting in New Zealand originated in 1819, while the country’s winemaking industry hadn’t taken off until forty years ago, not being fettered by traditions. Rapid promotion of new technologies and constant innovation have been witnesses ever since. Meanwhile, local terroirs have been explored. Thanks to these efforts, the grape planting and winemaking techniques of the country’s winemaking industry have reached the world’s top level. The research on the microclimates and parcels in grape planting regions has reached a high level. As a result, the features of different parcels can be fully utilized. For instance, Pinot Noir grown in Wairarapa, Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury/Waipara Valley and Central Otago all have unique regional characteristics.

In terms of area, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are New Zealand’s leading varieties. In addition, there are quite a few aromatic varieties, such as Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Many winemaking practitioners are from other countries, where different grape varieties are planted. They are seeking for ideal vineyards to plant new varieties, such as Sangiovese, Malbec, Tempranilo, Albarino and Gruner Veltliner. New grape varieties with outstanding characteristics are planted. The diversification of grape varieties will be a trend of the country’s winemaking industry.

According to data of 2014, the overall plantings in New Zealand is 35,510 ha (1% higher than 2013), less than one-third of that of Bordeaux. The country produced 320 million liters of wine in that year, accounting for only 1% of the world’s total. New Zealand’s winemaking industry is small in scale. However, the unit price of wine ranks high among all wine producing countries. Therefore, the country pursues the strategy of offering wine with top quality. In New Zealand, 95% of chateaus are members of Sustainable Wine Growing New Zealand (SWNZ), and some of them even meet the standards of carbon neutrality.

New Zealand’s forward-looking winemaking industry strives to promote government legislation in a bid to enhance IPR protection and crack down on counterfeiting and infringement on local varietals. In April 2015, New Zealand Ministry of Economic Development and New Zealand Winegrowers jointly declared to establish the Geographical Indications (GI) system to protect the country’s internationally famed winemaking regions and varietals. It’s expected that the system will be established by the end of this year.

New Zealand winemaking industry entered the Chinese market in 2007. At that time, French wines dominated China’s imported wine market. In 2008, China and New Zealand signed the Free Trade Agreement, a turning point for the promotion of New Zealand wines in China. Soon, China rose to New Zealand’s biggest trading partner. According to the FTA between the two countries, zero tariffs will be imposed on New Zealand wines exported to China as from January 1, 2012, further cementing the confidence of New Zealand winemaking industry.

In market expansion, New Zealand winemaking industry is also pragmatic and ambitious. The growth rate of export value of wines is the highest of the country’s exported goods. In the end of 2014, wine ranked No.6 in the country’s exports.

With a small winemaking industry, New Zealand pursues the path of providing the finest varietal wines. Based on research and analysis on the Chinese wine market with huge potential, the country has worked out pragmatic and forward-looking promotional plans. Several years ago, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and New Zealand Winegrowers jointly introduced the highly efficient Wine High Impact Programme. Under the programme, influential wine experts from New Zealand participated in various campaigns in the Chinese wine market to build the country’s image as a leading winemaker.

Selected measures in recent years:
– Launching a dedicated Chinese website to promote New Zealand wines;
– Organizing New Zealand wine trade fairs regularly, with workshops, symposiums and food & wine matching dinners;
– Organizing delegations to participate in the most influential local wine trade fairs, such as Prowine China;
– Organizing key opinion leaders (KOL) and experts in China’s winemaking industry for study tours in New Zealand’s winemaking regions, and establishing KIWI CLUB for networking to enable more consumers to gain a knowledge of New Zealand wines;
– Carrying out traditional and social media-based marketing campaigns, for instance, interacting with consumers and publishing information via Weibo (microblog) and WeChat;
– Offering educational programs for New Zealand winemaking practitioners, for instance, holding workshops in the country to help local wineries to gain a better understanding of the Chinese market, so as to work out effective development strategies and expansion plans.

Meanwhile, New Zealand winemaking industry often launches training programs on local wines. For instance, in April, top wine masters from the country offered New Zealand wine certification programs for professionals. In addition to tier-1 cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, training and certification systems are expected to cover tier-2 and tier 3 cities leading wine consumption.

Thanks to consistent efforts of New Zealand winemaking industry, the country’s wine exports to China rose from 268,000 liters (RMB 12.5 million in value) in 2007 to 1,920,000 liters (RMB 131 million in value) in 2014. In 2014, China became New Zealand’s sixth biggest destinations of wine exports, ranking after Australia, the U.S., the UK, Canada and the Netherlands.

Since the second half of 2012, the Chinese wine market has witnessed continued depression due to policy changes. In particular, the year 2014 is regarded as the most sluggish period. China’s total wine imports decreased by 5.7% compared with that of 2013. Nevertheless, wines imported from New Zealand rose by 34% in value and 11% in quantity during the same period. New Zealand wines have further expanded the share in China’s imported wine market. New Zealand winemaking industry has seen more potential in the Chinese market.

New Zealand winemaking industry has much confidence and expectations on the Chinese market. New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and New Zealand Winegrowers have jointly defined the goal towards the Chinese market in the next 5 years: The country’s wine exports to China will reach NZ$150 million by 2020. We are keen to see whether the goal will be realized.

– LU Jiang ( Maxime LU )

2015年份报告:新西兰

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编译:王智慧

官方数据要到六月初才能对外公布,不过目前所有的报告都显示: 新西兰2015年普遍干燥的气候,和部分地区的早期霜冻使得今年成为产量很低的一年。

新西兰最大葡萄酒产区马尔堡,前后发生共计15次霜冻。开花期的低温和80年来最干燥的气候导致低产,尤以长相思为甚。初步估计15年产量将比2014低15%-40%。

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圣诞老人驾着雪橇四处巡视那段时间,新西兰正值炎热干燥的夏季。一月下旬这个地区已在气象记录中确认的写下干旱,并迎来7个月以来最低的降雨量。这意味着病害压力不大,葡萄果实小而浓缩。

收获季节开始的早也结束的早。葡萄种植者Callum Linklater说,“我们三月初期开始采收黑皮诺,而大部分葡萄园在四月第一周采收工作就已完成。”

今年的收获季是Cloudy Bay有过最早的一次之一。酿酒师Nick Blampied-Lane描述长相思为“饱满成熟的水果——不是能够清晰感受到绿色风味的年份,有白色核果的味道。”

至于黑皮诺,被Seresin Estate的酿酒师Clive Dougall描述为,“果味浓郁,单宁并不过分强劲”,平衡,酒精度并不突出,仅为12.5%-13%。

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在黑皮诺为主的产区中奥塔哥。季初温暖,但紧接着11月的寒流来袭,山区可见降雪。“我们在户外行走时带着毛绒绒的帽子,葡萄藤在11月停止生长了。”  Prophet’s Rock的Paul Pujol这样形容 .

葡萄园接下来赶上了温暖的十二月、一月和二月。这三个月非常干燥。虽然二月的雨水带来了菌病的压力,但是雨水和滴灌都未能完全解决葡萄园干旱的问题。中奥塔哥葡萄种植者协会的发言人James Dicey这样讲。

通常采收时间为六周,今年仅用了四周。大部分酒庄在4月12日之前就完成了采收工作。4月12日骤冷降雪,霜冻的警报也拉响了。收获总量为10000公吨,比去年减产了5%。种植者表示他们对果实的成熟度,和愉悦的香气感到欣慰。

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新西兰北岛的霍克湾,在连续两年大丰收之后,又迎来一个好年份。此前担心气旋帕姆会为本区带来恶劣影响,但结果只是一个有些潮湿的周末“降雨量不足35mm,仅为之前预报的1/4.”此后一切如常。Sacred HIll 的Tony Bish评论说,“2013和2014都是特别好的年份。你不能指望每一年都达到这样的水准,但2015也并没有差很多。10分满分制我可以打到7或者8.”

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与中奥塔哥地区的紧凑的采收节奏不同,霍克湾葡萄品种繁多,经历了一个漫长干燥的秋季和收获过程。“诚实的讲最难的事情是员工管理。一波密集采收工作之后就是等待,然后是另一波,然后又是等待”。Bish说,“过程很分散,但坏天气并没有影响到晚收品种的采收工作。”

出处:www.wine-searcher.com

新西兰葡萄酒与中国市场概述

图文:陆江(Maxime LU)

本文已发布于ProWine China网站专栏,转载请标明出处。

  今年二月,我应邀走访了新西兰大部分葡萄酒主力产区,探访了各地的一些不同风格的名庄,还分别在不同产区集中品鉴了当地众多酒庄的产品(Regional Wines Tasting),让我对这个世界上最南端的产区国的实力有了更全面的认知。新西兰葡萄酒稳定的品质,合理的价格,干净的果味,活跃纯净浓郁,个性鲜明,尤其是在备受不少国内葡萄酒爱好者诟病的多样性方面,其实也都表现不弱。

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新西兰从北岛 (南纬36°)一直延伸1600公里到世界上最南的葡萄酒产区中奥塔哥(南纬47°)。海洋性气候是主导,所有的葡萄园与海岸的距离不会超过130公里。白天的充分日照,夜间的凉爽海风造就了不少产区较大的温差,使酿酒葡萄成熟有了上佳的生长条件,受海洋影响,也没有特别极致的天气状况。另外,新西兰属于地壳活动频繁地带(地震火山很多),再加上河道的变迁以及人类的影响,导致有着复杂的地物地貌结构,和丰富多样的土壤构成,再配合各地块极为不同的微气候。这为新西兰葡萄酒的多样性提供了风土条件(Terroirs)的保证。

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还有重要一点,新西兰葡萄种植起于1819年,但葡萄酒行业真正大力发展其实也是最近三四十年,没有传统束缚,新技术快速普及,创新不断,随着对当地风土条件的探索和磨合,新西兰葡萄酒行业的种植酿酒技术达到国际一线水准,对种植区的微气候和细分地块的研究也达到较高水准,使不同地块的特点能很好发挥出来。例如黑皮诺在怀拉拉帕(Wairarapa)、尼尔森(Nelson)、马尔堡(Marlborough)、坎特伯雷(Canterbury)/怀帕拉谷(Waipara Valley)、中奥塔哥(Central Otago)等产区都有各自区域特色。

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另外,虽然从种植面积来说现在新西兰主要代表品种是长相思和黑皮诺,此外还有不少夏朵内,芳香系品种,西拉,梅洛和赤霞珠调配等。由于不少葡萄酒从业者来自不同国家,这些国家的传统葡萄品种不同,有不少人除前面提到的常规品种外,在寻求种植,如Sangiovese,Malbec,Tempranilo,Albarino,Gruner Veltliner等更多品种,找寻最合适他们的葡萄园,随着新品种的表现卓越,葡萄品种的多样性也将会是新西兰葡萄酒发展的一个趋势。

2014年的数据,新西兰葡萄种植总面积35,510 公顷(比2013年上升1%),不到波尔多种植面积的三分之一,产量3.2亿升,仅占全球的百分之一。葡萄酒产业规模小,不过平均单价位于各产区国前茅,主要走优质精品酒路线。新西兰95%的葡萄酒庄是新西兰葡萄酒可持续发展计划(SWNZ)的参与成员,部分已经达到了碳中性标准水平。

新西兰葡萄酒行业比较前瞻性地推动政府立法保护行业的相关知识产权,以便对可能针对新西兰葡萄酒相关的假冒侵权行为实施打击。今年4月,新西兰经济发展部和新西兰葡萄酒种植协会联合宣布,建立地理标示(GI)制度,保护新西兰国际知名的葡萄酒产区和产品,预计到今年年底能完成相关进程。

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从2007年开始,新西兰正式涉足中国市场推广。当时中国进口葡萄酒市场完全是法国葡萄酒绝对主导。不过新西兰葡萄酒在中国的发展关键点,是2008年中新两国签署了自由贸易协定,中国很快成为新西兰最大的贸易伙伴。在2008年签订的中国-新西兰自由贸易协定(FTA)中,确定从2012年1月1日起,对新西兰葡萄酒实施零关税。这一举措大力推动新西兰葡萄酒行业的信心。

在市场开拓方面新西兰葡萄酒行业也务实进取,使葡萄酒成为新西兰出口产品中增长最快的产品。2014年底,葡萄酒已成为新西兰第六大出口产品。

针对像中国这样具有巨大潜力的葡萄酒市场,新西兰作为葡萄酒产业规模小,走精品化道路的产区国,经过对中国市场研究和自身资源的分析,选择了相当务实,且又具有远见的推广计划。新西兰几年前推出了事半功倍的葡萄酒高度影响力计划,该计划由新西兰贸易发展局和新西兰葡萄种植与葡萄酒酿造协会联合推出。通过具有影响力的本地葡萄酒专业人士的参与,在中国葡萄酒市场,为新西兰打造高质量葡萄酒产区国的形象。

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近几年的主要实施举措:

– 推出新西兰葡萄酒中文网站;

– 周期举办新西兰葡萄酒展,同期举办专题研讨会、餐酒搭配主题晚宴;

– 组团参加本区域内最有影响力的酒展,如Prowine China等;

– 安排中国葡萄酒行业的意见领袖(KOL)和专家去新西兰葡萄酒产区走访考察,并成立KIWI CLUB维系好这些人脉资源。通过他们让更多消费者了解新西兰葡萄酒。

– 开展传统和社交媒体市场推广活动,如在微博和微信上开通互动和信息发布账号;

– 提供针对新西兰葡萄酒从业者的教育项目,包括通过在新西兰本地举办研讨会让新西兰葡萄酒公司更好地了解中国市场,从而制定出有效的发展战略和开拓计划。

新西兰葡萄酒还推出新西兰葡萄酒培训课程,像4月份刚完成的,由新西兰顶级葡萄酒大师讲授的,针对葡萄酒专业人士的新西兰葡萄酒认证课程。并且除了北上广等一线城市外,还会在不久的未来打造完整的培训认证体系,从而覆盖更广的二三线重要葡萄酒消费城市。

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经过数年的努力,新西兰葡萄酒出口到中国的数量有明显涨幅,从2007年的二十六万八千升增长到2014年的一百九十二万升。按货值计算,出口额从2007年的人民币一千二百五十万跃增至2014年的人民币一亿三千一百万。2014年,中国成为新西兰在海外的第六大葡萄酒出口目的国,排在前面的有澳大利亚,美国,英国,加拿大和荷兰。

尽管中国市场从2012年下半年开始,因为政策变化,整个市场步入低迷。尤其去年2014年,被认为最低谷的时期,中国进口葡萄酒总量与2013年相比下滑了百分之五点七,但是从新西兰进口的葡萄酒在同期,以货值计算却上升了百分之三十四,以数量计算上升了百分之十一。这再度巩固了新西兰在中国进口葡萄酒市场的份额。也让新西兰葡萄酒行业更加看好中国市场的潜力。

对于中国市场,新西兰葡萄酒行业抱有很大的信心和期望值。新西兰贸易发展局和新西兰葡萄种植与葡萄酒酿造协会制定了未来5年内在华的市场目标:2020年实现1亿5千万新西兰元的葡萄酒出口额。我们将拭目以待。

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陆江(Maxime LU)

– 国际国内葡萄酒大赛专家评委,独立酒评人,美食美酒旅游类撰稿人,葡萄酒行业咨询顾问,资深葡萄酒和烈酒收藏顾问,万欧兰葡萄酒教育首席讲师

王智慧(Serien WANG)

– 资深葡萄酒编辑、撰稿人和专业译者,《葡萄酒在线-WINEONLINE.CN》葡萄酒专题总监,万欧兰葡萄酒教育葡萄酒讲师

2013年份是新西兰“千载难逢的好年份”

陆江(Maxime LU)/编译    Gabriel Savage(DB)/文   2013年3月26日

虽然对于北半球最新年份是2012,不少著名产区都表现惨淡,不过对于南半球的新西兰来说,最新的年份是2013,葡萄收获工作进展顺利,不少生产商甚至谈到,这是新西兰历史上最好的年份之一。

The 2013 harvest underway at Esk Valley

The 2013 harvest underway at Esk Valley

虽然暖和、干燥的夏天给养羊的农庄造成不少麻烦,不过新西兰葡萄种植者协会的CEO Philip Gregan说:这样的夏天对于葡萄成长和成熟却是完美的条件。
新西兰葡萄种植者协会早先曾对潜在的葡萄过剩有过担忧,不过现在Philip Gregan提到:“进入秋季,普遍都是温暖的白天和比较凉爽的夜晚,这是对于我们所有的葡萄种植区来说都将会是 个优秀年份。”
越来越多的酿酒师表达了对这个年份的乐观看法。 预测2013年是“千载难逢的好年份”的同时,Esk Valley 埃斯克山谷的酿酒师 Gordon Russell戈登·罗素指出:“这也是各类天气条件的 最理想组合。”“我们的葡萄不仅在晴朗白天不断完美成熟,而且凉爽的夜晚帮助葡萄保持很好的酸度,最终会使葡萄质量更完美,而且有着干旱季节无法带来的活力,”他继续说到。
Craggy Range的首席酿酒师Matt Stafford马特·斯塔福德也提供了一个类似的积极预测,他说:“最好?最伟大?这很难用来表述我们这个年份葡萄的品质,毕竟我们未来也许还有更好的天 气,但我们还是需要准备一些新的最高级形容词,这个会很有意义。 ”
这些对2013年份的乐观预测,也体现在葡萄酒作家 Matthew Jukes马修朱克斯和Tyson Stelzer泰森施特尔策公布的第六版新西兰黑比诺分级中。
拥有“一个创纪录的数字”全国484黑比诺葡萄酒生产商中有120家进入分级列表,包括23家是第一次入列, 加入了Ata Rangi的Rippon Vineyard,Bell Hill,Felton Road 和Mount Difficulty取得了最高的5星级别。
“我们的新西兰黑比诺评价标准在过去的12个月内并无特别变化,”Jukes和Stelzer提到。这个黑皮诺的年度分级体系,还是基于生产商过去5个年份的表现来做的综合评估。
对于这个分级结果,他们还将部分原因归结于不断成熟的葡萄藤,另外他们还提到:“葡萄种植者和酿酒师都希望能给他们的产区带来一些独有的特点,新西兰黑比诺从没像这次一样,成功的展现出他们产区的风土特点。“