Kiwi pinot noir provides the buzz, says US judge

THE BUZZ: Hawke's Bay syrah, pinot noir from Central Otago and Martinborough, and riesling represent the future of New Zealand wine in the American market.

 Hawke's Bay syrah, pinot noir from Central Otago and Martinborough, and riesling represent the future of New Zealand wine in the American market, says the editor-in-chief of leading American wine magazine Wines & Spirits.

Joshua Greene is in New Zealand as a judge at the Air New Zealand wine awards. "American wine people just don't think of sauvignon blanc any more when they think about New Zealand," he said. "The knowledgeable ones now think about syrah, pinot noir and riesling. Sauvignon blanc is the base, but it's not the buzz. The buzz is with the pinot noir."

The best New Zealand pinot noirs Mr Greene said he had tasted were from central Otago and around Martinborough, while the best syrahs were from Hawke's Bay. "I don't have enough experience with rieslings to know where the interesting rieslings are coming from."

New Zealand had created the sauvignon blanc category in the United States but some of the low-end sauvignon blanc it was exporting was not helping its image, Mr Greene said.

"The very green pepper capsicum style is not doing New Zealand any favours. It's a marker for some consumers of New Zealand sauvignon blanc and it's become a handle which is not necessarily a good thing for the future. But there's a lot of good sauvignon blanc coming out of the country that doesn't have that. There is a very fine quality at the high end that is driving growth."

The worldwide recession would probably not dampen American demand for wine though it may result in people buying cheaper bottles, he said.

"Typically during a recession there is greater interest in drinking among US citizens." A friend who ran a restaurant in New York had told him of a two-week period when the markets were really rattled and when people stopped going out to eat. As things began to recoup the "sweet spot" for wine on his list went from US$90 to US$60.

"It's an opportunity for wine from New Zealand - as well as wine from anywhere else - that can aggressively market to a low mid-range. The US$10-$15 retail bottles will be what people are buying. To make it in the current market, people are going to have to be aggressive. There's a brand-building opportunity during the recession."

Mr Greene said he had cast an absentee vote in the American presidential election for Democrat Barack Obama.

Asked whether Mr Obama would be a better president for the American wine industry, he said: "I would assume that Obama is the better president for the international industry of anything."

Meanwhile, New Zealand Winegrowers said the industry had a record $101.7 million export month in September.