New Zealand
New Zealand wines are largely produced in ten major wine growing regions spanning latitudes 36° to 45° South and extending 1,600 km (1,000 miles). They are, from north to south Northland, Auckland, Waikato/Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury and Central Otago.
New Zealand is home to what many wine critics, like the British Oz Clarke, consider the world’s best Sauvignon Blanc. Historically, Sauvignon Blanc has been used in many French regions, the most famous being Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé.
Following Robert Mondavi's lead in renaming Californian Sauvignon Blanc "Fumé Blanc" (partially in reference to Pouilly Fumé and partially to denote the smokiness of the wine produced due to its aging in oak) there was a trend for oaked Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand during the late 1980s.
Later, the fashion for strong oaky overtones waned and so the name did.
New Zealand Reds are typically made from either a blend of varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and much less often Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec), or Pinot Noir. Recently, in Hawkes Bay there have been wines made from Syrah, either solely or blends, and even Tempranillo, Montepulciano and Sangiovese.