Drink of the Week: Wairau River Pinot Gris

Learning about wine is also an excellent way to learn about geography. The primary motivating factor is that at the end of your lesson, there is something delicious in your glass. Case in point: this Wairau River Pinot Gris from Marlborough, New Zealand. With a commercial industry that only really began in the 1970s, the wines of New Zealand still only represent about 1 percent of the global market. It was Sauvignon Blanc that put the country on the world’s wine radar. And while they are rightfully acclaimed, you’d be missing out if you didn’t venture beyond their signature varietal.

On the northeastern tip of New Zealand’s South Island is Marlborough, the country’s largest wine-growing region where proximity to the ocean offers cooler temperatures while the mountains to the west block extreme weather and ensure plenty of sunshine. The Wairau River estate, hugging its namesake waterway, first planted grapes in 1978 and remains a family-run operation today. All of their 10 or so varieties are estate-grown. Every bottling is single-varietal, showcasing authentic local expressions of each.

Although the winery’s Sauvignon Blanc is indeed excellent, as its broad acclaim can attest, I found the Wairau River Pinot Gris captivating. The Pinot Gris vines grow in their Home Block vineyard alongside the river—the first planted by the estate and among the oldest in the region. The wine is delightfully bright and fresh. Its aromas of passion fruit carry through to the palate with just enough residual sweetness to balance its mineral-driven acidity. A fuller-bodied white, the Pinot Gris paired equally well with everything from grilled fish and creamy pasta to flank steak. It’s a steal of a bottle that I will happily open again this summer, because there is always something new to learn. $15.95, buywinesonline.com