For almost four decades, the Halliday Wine Companion has been the authority on Australian wine. This year, we’re extremely excited to reveal that we’re spreading our vinous wings across the Tasman, and will now be covering the wines, wineries and wine regions of New Zealand as well.
It’s a big announcement, however it’s not our first foray into the country. Some of our readers may remember that early editions of the guide included New Zealand. Sadly – especially for James, who loves our neighbour’s wines almost as much as ours – covering both countries eventually became untenable, and after the 2003 edition James’ focus reverted to Australia.
But now, over 20 years later, the time is right for us to once again include the wines of our closest neighbour and friends in our annual tastings. The strength of our Tasting Team means we have the resources; plus, it just makes sense. Aussies and Kiwis are deeply connected. We both reckon we invented the pavlova and the flat white; we fight over who gets to claim Crowded House and, sometimes, Russell Crowe; and we both know what it’s like to need to fly for 24-hours just to get anywhere.
Our connection extends into wine. For even though our climates and terroirs are different, we share seasons, harvests and vintages. We make similar styles of wine from the same varieties, and there are many winemakers, including the likes of PJ Charteris, Matt Harrop and Giles Cooke MW, who make wine in both countries. And both of us can fairly credit James Busby for having wine industries at all.
But mostly, we feel that it is of benefit to you, our members, to have more of the wines you’re drinking reviewed by people that you trust. Australian bottle shops are chock full of excellent New Zealand wines, so we can only assume that as a discerning consumer you’re partial to a few of them already. And if you’re not, well, this might be the nudge you need to break into new territory.
As well as wine reviews, which have already begun to appear on winecompanion.com, our coverage of New Zealand also includes its wineries, wine regions and wine stories, which you’ll be able to find online and in Halliday magazine.
We look forward to establishing ourselves as the authority on New Zealand wine as well as Australian.
To view the latest tasting notes from New Zealand, click here.
Become a member and receive a free 95-point shiraz from Greenock Creek
Join Halliday Wine Companion today and receive a free bottle of Greenock Creek Wines Apricot Block Shiraz 2021, rated 95-points and valued at $70 RRP. Use code GREENOCK.
As a Halliday member, you'll unlock a growing library of over 175,000 tasting notes from over 3500 wineries across Australia and New Zealand. A dedicated email every week with our latest tasting notes, access to thousands of digital articles, four issues of Halliday magazine delivered to your door, your own personal Virtual Cellar to manage your wines, and much more.
