New Zealand Vineyards

Single 40c 'Central Otago' gummed stamp.

This stamp featured the Rippon vineyard, situated on the edge of Lake Wanaka and surrounded by snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps. The area's extreme dryness reduced the risk of disease and allowed an extended autumn ripening period. Central Otago's first Méthode Champenoise was produced by Rippon in 1993.

Single 80c 'Hawke's Bay' gummed stamp.

Hawke's Bay Chardonnays, oak-matured Sauvignon Blancs and Cabernet-based reds from this region ranked amongst the best in the country. Marist missionaries planted the first vines in 1851 in the Hawke's Bay and by the 1890s several wealthy landowners were producing commercial volumes of wine. The Hawke's Bay climate of warm, sunny summers, dryish autumns and a strong maritime influence has distinct parallels with Bordeaux in France - an area renowned for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot-based reds.

The whitewashed designer home of wine producer John Buck surrounded by the vines of the Te Mata Estate was recreated on this stamp. Buck established Te Mata Estate in the late 1970s, and the vineyard became famous for its two high-quality reds: Coleraine and Awatea.

Single $1.00 'Marlborough' gummed stamp.

Marlborough is by far New Zealand's largest wine region, with almost 40 percent of all plantings. Grapevines sweep across the pebble, pancake-flat Wairau Valley, and are also well-established in the Awatere Valley, over the hills to the south-east. Sauvignon Blanc is the flagship varietal of Marlborough, and Cloudy Bay, the vineyard featured on this stamp has received much acclaim for its Sauvignon Blancs, as well as its Chardonnays.

Single $1.20 'Canterbury/Waipara' gummed stamp.

The Christchurch district produces leaner, steelier wines than the more robust and ripely flavoured wines flowing from the sheltered warmer sites in North Canterbury, the location of Pegasus Bay which is shown on this stamp.

Pegasus Bay, the largest vineyard in the Waipara region, is planted on a bed of smooth stones left by the retreat of an ice-age glacier. The heat retention and reflection of the stones help Pegasus Bay to ripen grape varieties not normally seen this far south. Among these, the Pegasus Bay Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot is a red wine that has gained a big reputation.

Single $1.50 'Gisborne' gummed stamp.

Gisborne growers produced over a third of the total New Zealand grape harvest in 1997. Sun drenched Gisborne is a wine grower's paradise which particularly favours the Chardonnay grape.

The Millton Vineyard is shown on this stamp, a winery that has gained renown for its natural, chemical-free methods of winemaking, as well as the quality of its white wines. One of the Millton success stories is the Millton Opou Riesling.

Single $1.80 'Auckland/Waiheke' gummed stamp.

Only three percent of New Zealand's vines are planted in the Auckland region, but over a quarter of the wine companies are based in Auckland. Thick skinned Cabernet Sauvignon grapes flourish in Auckland's warm and sunny, but relatively damp climate producing sturdy red wines with rich blackcurrant and spice flavours.

Kim and Jeanette Goldwater pioneered wine-making on Waiheke Island in the Hauraki gulf. It was fitting that their vineyard, Goldwater Estate, appeared on this stamp. Goldwater wines have won numerous international awards, but their 'star' is the Goldwater Cabernet Sauvignon/Marlot/Franc.