New Zealand celebrates 200 years since the first vine was planted
New Zealand wine to many may seem like a new thing. Certainly, its only just over 30 years since New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc took the world by storm. But on the 25th September 2019, New Zealand's wine industry celebrated 200 years since the first vine was planted. Records kept by Reverend Samuel Marsden, show to the day, the first vine planted in the Bay of Islands.
Two hundred years later, New Zealand exports just shy of £1 billion worth of wine annually from 700 wineries and 600 grape growers. 76% is Sauvignon Blanc and 98% of wineries are now certified as sustainable.
