Kiwi Wine Takes US by Storm

An extensive article on NZ’s burgeoning wine industry examines its history and development in an American context, interviewing US importers and connoisseurs of NZ wine as well as ex pat US vineyard owners such as Barbara and Patrick Stowe (Rimu Grove) and John Kemble and Karr Field (Kemblefield). “I still remember my first sip of NZ wine,” says wine judge Paul White. “It smelled of kiwis, but when I tasted, it was this wild, spicy, herbaceous fruit salad with lettuce. It was this roller coaster experience. At the time, I had no idea that NZ even made wine.” Now, as wine importer Howard Kalmer points out, “every top restaurant from New York to San Francisco has NZ on their wine list.” NZ wine exports have grown from just 15,000 cases in 1995 to 1.5 million cases of wine per annum.