Wine Tasting: ABC Clermont

Oyster Bay Wines... LOOK for them!

Sauvignon Blanc: 90 points and Best But
Chardonnay: Top Volume Premium Import

New Zealand wine’s U.S. volume has exploded over the past five years, with bottled shipments at almost 4.7 million cases in 2016, according to Impact Databank—an increase of nearly 2 million cases since 2012. In the 12 months through last June, the U.S. became New Zealand’s top export market by volume, overtaking the U.K. with a 14% advance. Growth was even more robust in dollar terms, with shipment value up 24% to $336.7 million. Largely as a result of New Zealand’s upswing, Sauvignon Blanc, the country’s signature grape, now ranks second in the U.S. market among imported varietals by origin, behind only Italian Pinot Grigio.

Constellation-owned Kim Crawford—leading the way in volume at the premium end of the category—has been a major contributor to New Zealand’s ascent in the U.S. Last year, Kim Crawford became the first Kiwi brand to top 1 million cases in the U.S., capping a run in which it has expanded by nearly 400,000 cases over a three-year period—at a premium price point solidly above $15 a 750-ml.

But New Zealand’s rise has hardly been a single-brand phenomenon. In addition to Kim Crawford, Constellation stablemate Nobilo, retailing a few dollars less per bottle, continues to carve out solid growth, advancing from 426,000 cases in 2013 to 615,000 cases last year. Meanwhile, Oyster Bay Wines’ namesake brand has also maintained an impressive trajectory. After averaging 14% annual growth over the past three years, Oyster Bay should easily cross the 700,000-case mark in 2017.