A historic and geographic survey of New Zealand wine and winemaking – well researched, lavishly illustrated and lovingly told. 

Mt Difficulty Pinot Noir and Spy Valley Riesling. Montana Sauvignon Blanc and Cloudy Bay Chardonnay. Though the New Zealand wine industry really began only fifty years ago, vines and winemakers have now spread across the land – from Central Otago to Kumeu, Waipara to Wairarapa – to produce notable wines for New Zealanders and the world.

For half a century, geographer and wine enthusiast Warren Moran has followed the development of the industry, talked to the winemakers and tasted the wines. In this book, he provides an unrivalled introduction to New Zealand wine: the climate, soils, and geography our winemakers work with; the grape varieties they have tried to tame; and the extraordinary personalities, families and companies who have made the wine and the industry. After introducing readers to the history and geography of New Zealand wine, this monumental book takes readers to each of the key winegrowing regions to tell the story of wines and winemakers in Auckland, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, the Wairarapa, Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury, and Central Otago.

Illustrated with three-dimensional maps of regions and localities and spectacular photographs of the vineyards and the winemakers, New Zealand Wine: The Land, the Vines, the People is a must for all of those interested in understanding the extraordinary wines of New Zealand.

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Reviews

This is an important and significant publication on the modern New Zealand wine industry. The academic tone and scientific detail may initially seem daunting, but in reality the writing is precise and concise, and the maps and tables demonstrate changes with clarity and detail. The book is authoritative, but above all, it is about people for people. - Raymond Chan, Wine

This is a scholarly history of the NZ wine industry. Emeritus Prof Moran, a geographer at the University of Auckland, has clearly been a keen observer and passionate follower of the burgeoning NZ wine industry and brings his lifetime of study to light in this immensely readable book. [...] I see myself returning again and again to its pages.  - Mark Henderson, Otago Daily Times