[6] James Busby, New Zealand's governing British Resident in the 1830s, planted vineyards on his land near Waitangi, having earlier established what is now the Hunter Valley wine region during his time in Australia.

[10] Dalmatian immigrants arriving in New Zealand in the late 19th and early 20th centuries brought with them viticultural knowledge and planted vineyards in West and North Auckland.

This led ultimately to a dramatic restructuring of the agricultural economy, and diversification away from traditional "primary" products—dairy, meat and wool—to products with potentially higher economic returns.

Good Cabernet Sauvignon wine from Auckland and Hawke's Bay bolstered the industry with ever-increasing investment, vineyard plantings, rising land prices and greater local interest and pride.

"[17] Wine regions are located mostly in free draining alluvial valleys—Hawke's Bay, Martinborough, Nelson, the Wairau and Awatere valleys of Marlborough, and Canterbury—with the notable exceptions of Waiheke Island, Kawarau Gorge in Central Otago.

Sometimes the alluvial nature of the soil is important, as in Hawke's Bay where the deposits known as the Gimblett Gravels represent such quality characteristics that they are often mentioned on the wine label.

New Zealand's climate is maritime, meaning that the sea moderates the weather, producing cooler summers and milder winters than would be expected at similar latitudes in Europe and North America.

Maritime climates tend to demonstrate higher variability with cold snaps possible at any time of the year and warm periods even in the depth of winter.

While current winemaking technology is almost universally sterile and hygienic worldwide, the natural antibiotic properties of alcohol production were more heavily relied upon in the 1970s when the New Zealand wine industry started.

In 2017, its vines took up 22,085 hectares (54,570 acres) of vineyard area, a full 60% of New Zealand's total grape planting, and Sauvignon Blanc wine made up 86% of the nation's exports.

There is little discernible difference in styles of Chardonnay between the New Zealand wine regions; individual winemakers' recipes, use of oak, and the particular qualities of a vintage have tended to blur any distinction of terroir.

[citation needed] Other white wine varietals grown in New Zealand include (in descending order of vineyard area) Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Viognier, and less commonly Chenin Blanc, Albariño, Arneis and Sémillon.

[citation needed] The late 1970s were early in the modern wine industry, and the comparatively low annual sunshine hours to be found in New Zealand discouraged the planting of red varieties.

Indeed, recent years have seen Pinot Noir from Central Otago win numerous international awards and accolades, and excite the interest of British wine commentators including Jancis Robinson and Oz Clarke.

[citation needed] In a blind tasting of New Zealand Pinot Noir in 2006, Michael Cooper reported that of the top ten wines, five came from Central Otago, four from Marlborough and one from Waipara.

Syrah wines from Hawke's Bay, particularly the Gimblett Gravels and Bridge Pa Triangle sub-regions, as well as farther north from Waiheke Island, have also gained a good reputation internationally.

As viticultural techniques were improved and tailored to New Zealand's maritime climate, other Bordeaux-style grapes were planted, and a switch of emphasis made to the more suitable, earlier-ripening Merlot.

Quartz Reef is based in Central Otago, Church Road in Hawke's Bay, and Lindauer (originally established in Gisborne now also owned by Lion); there are makers as far north as the Auckland regions as well.

Exports of New Zealand sparkling wines are chiefly to the United Kingdom, where the best-known examples there are the Pelorus from Cloudy Bay, now owned by LVMH, and the Special Reserve from Lindauer.

The fertile soils and Northland climate also results in high vine productivity, requiring good vineyard management to limit yields in order to ensure better quality wines.

[citation needed] Hawke's Bay is New Zealand's oldest and second-largest wine region, and includes the Gimblett Gravels, Bridge Pa Triangle and Te Mata Special Character Zone sub-regions.

Martinborough was the original area planted on the basis of careful scientific study in the 1970s, which identified its soils and climate as perfectly suited to the cultivation of Pinot Noir.

New Zealand's newest winegrowing region is on the border of Otago and Canterbury, a narrow strip of approximately 75 kilometres (47 mi) on the southern bank of the Waitaki River.

In a good year, the warm summer and long dry autumn in the Waitaki Valley can produce one of the longest growing seasons in New Zealand.

The vineyards are the highest in New Zealand – at 200 to 400 metres (660 to 1,310 ft) above sea level – on the steep slopes of lakesides and the edges of deep river gorges, often in glacial soils.

Central Otago is a sheltered inland area with a continental microclimate characterised by hot dry summers, short cool autumns, and crisp cold winters.

Bannockburn is a small Geographical Indication and sub-region of the Central Otago GI, located within the larger Cromwell Basin and defined by the Kawarau River and Lake Dunstan to the north and the high mountains of the Southern Alps, specifically the Cairnmuir and Carrick Ranges, to the east, south and west.

[20] New Zealand Winegrowers has also placed a growing emphasis on sustainability and organic certification, including monitoring and measuring water, energy, soil and pest management, waste reuse, land and biodiversity restoration, and social factors such as tourism impacts and staff training.

[37] Cloudy Bay Vineyards set a new standard for New World Sauvignon Blanc and was arguably responsible for the huge increase in interest in it, particularly in the United Kingdom.

Following on from the early success of Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand has been building a strong reputation with other styles—Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet/Merlot blends, Pinot Gris and Syrah to name a few.