Alder Yarrow, who founded one of the most influential wine blogs – Vinography – shines the spotlight on “New Zealand’s Forgotten Aromatic White Wines”. Specifically focussed on Riesling and Pinot Gris, he reviews the top examples.
Alder explains that in Central Otago, some of the first plantings were Riesling and due to the industry’s ties to German and Swiss research universities, growers had access to particularly good plant material for the early Riesling plantings. It was in Martinborough that a small planting of Pinot Gris in a “ripe Alsatian style” did much to popularize this variety and inspired producers around the country.
He comments that whilst many large-scale NZ producers are making inexpensive bottles of Riesling and Pinot Gris, a handful of fine wine producers remain dedicated to these grapes and that “many of these wines are frequently compelling”.
“Though they languish in the long shadow cast by New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand’s best Rieslings and Pinot Gris are distinctive and are worthy of as much attention as any of the country’s top bottlings.”
Read Alder’s full article where he reviews the best of New Zealand’s Riesling and Pinot Gris. Alder visited New Zealand in 2025 and it was at Misha’s Vineyard Tasting Room where he sat for many hours tasting through a wide selection of the country’s aromatics and has now published his reviews of the ‘best of the best’.
Four of Misha’s Vineyard wines were featured in his round up of the country’s top aromatic whites.
A link to his full article here: https://www.vinography.com/2026/05/new-zealands-forgotten-aromatic-white-wines
The review of Misha’s Vineyard Wines is available here -> Vinography-Misha’s Vineyard
