The Wine Corner: Uncorking new flavors down under

I recently returned from a wine-tasting tour of New Zealand and Australia, and my jet lag has just about receded. The flight from Boston takes about 24 hours when you include the California layover. That said, if you ever have the opportunity to go down under, it is worth the trip. Both are amazing places in their own unique ways.

The first wine area I visited was Waiheke (pronounced "Y — hickey) Island, 40 minutes by ferry from Auckland, New Zealand's largest city. This truly picturesque, idyllic island is home to more than 30 producers. Many of the wineries have tasting rooms overlooking the bays surrounding the island. It was quite spectacular.

Waiheke's maritime climate has proven to be well-suited to growing Bordeaux wine grapes, such as merlot and cabernet sauvignon; although, rich, ripe, deliciously well-rounded chardonnays and dark, lush, peppery Syrahs are also attracting the limelight. The best producers from this area are Goldwater Estate, Cable Bay Vineyards and Obsidian.

After unsuccessfully trying to figure out how to move Leary's from Newburyport to Waiheke Island (New England winters build character anyway), I was off to New Zealand's largest wine-producing area, Marlborough. It is located on the northeast coast of New Zealand's South Island (a little geography: New Zealand is made up of two islands — the North Island, and the South Island, which is about the same size as California, but one-tenth the population).

It would be hard to find a bigger success in the wine industry than Marlborough sauvignon blancs. Sauvignon blanc was planted in the 1970s in Marlborough as an experiment by Brancott Winery. Fast-forward 30 years, and it is the hottest white wine in the world with sales surpassing $500 million. Marlborough's success is due in large part to its weather. It is one of New Zealand's sunniest and driest areas.

My trip to Marlborough coincided with the annual Marlborough Wine Festival. The festival is an outdoor event that includes 400 wines from more than 70 wineries. It took me a little more than two hours to taste each wine (kidding). The festival is quite an experience. To give you an example of how nice the weather is in Marlborough, the festival has been held on the second Saturday of February for 26 years, and there has never been a rain-out. Marlborough doesn't just produce great sauvignon blancs. It is also known for its wonderful aromatics (Rieslings, pinot gris, gewurztraminers) and pinot noirs. Some of the tasting highlights included wines from Dog Point, Spy Valley, Huia and Fromm.

It was a sad day when I left Marlborough, but I was off to yet another island, a more mysterious, intriguing island — the island of Tasmania. For most of my life, the only thing I knew about this place was that a Loony Tunes character lived there. Located off the southeast coast of mainland Australia and about the size of West Virginia, Tasmania is one of the six states that make up Australia. It is a beautiful place with almost one-third of its land mass designated as national park.

My wine tasting began in the north of the island, in the Tamar Valley. This region is home to several excellent pinot noir producers, such as Pirie, Pipers Ridge and Tamar Ridge. The wine segment in which Tasmania feels it can compete on a truly world-class level is sparkling wine (champagne). The mild summers and winters are perfect for the chardonnay and pinot noir grapes used to make sparklers. The best I tasted during my tour was by Jansz. It is as good as any French champagne at similar price points.

Having an Aussie wife whose parents insist on seeing their grandchildren on an annual basis has its upsides. I hope to update you on Antipoedian wines next year as well.