Raise your glass to New Zealand Pinot Noir this International Pinot Noir Day

As consumer preferences shift toward lighter and fresher wine styles, the New Zealand wine industry is celebrating the country's leading red wine export this International Pinot Noir Day on August 18. 

International Pinot Day honors this delicate yet intense grape that has found a home away from home in New Zealand. First planted in the Wairarapa region of New Zealand’s North Island back in 1883, it wasn’t until 1987 that Pinot Noir was first commercially bottled. 

Still considered the new kid on the block due to its rapid rise to fame, New Zealand Pinot Noir is now the country’s top red wine variety and the second-most exported wine after Sauvignon Blanc, and now has over 1.5 million cases exported annually. 

By the 1990s, things had started to heat up for New Zealand Pinot Noir internationally. Gold medals were won in Australia, London, and murmurings of a potential new Pinot powerhouse began travelling around the globe. “New Zealand Pinot Noir is something else,” says Charlotte Read, General Manager Brand, New Zealand Winegrowers. “It leads with a concentrated core of fruit, underpinned by a vibrant backbone of acidity thanks to our cool climate, plus sports the hallmark fragrance and elegant fine-grained tannins that leading Pinots possess. It’s exciting to observe the distinct regional styles resulting from differences in soil type and climate across the region’s Pinot Noir is planted in New Zealand.” 

This sentiment was echoed during Pinot Noir New Zealand 2025 held in Ōtautahi Christchurch in February. Guest Richard Hemming MW wrote, “New Zealand Pinot Noir will always, incontrovertibly, not be Burgundy. And that is its greatest strength! Whatever your Pinot preference, there are great examples in all styles to discover here, showcasing the magic and diversity of New Zealand.” 

Pinot Noir is now among the top five most searched red varietals, and demand continues to grow. WineSearcher data shows global Pinot Noir search interest jumped from 10.5% to 15.5% of total search market share, and within New Zealand wine searches, Pinot Noir held 32.4% interest in 2024, second only to Sauvignon Blanc at 35%. 
 

“Research shows that New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc drinkers are more likely than average to also drink Pinot Noir, especially those consumers that already associate New Zealand wines with purity, freshness, and quality - all values that New Zealand Pinot Noir shares,” says Charlotte. 

“With a consumer shift towards fresher, chillable styles, Pinot Noir’s natural acidity and lower tannin make it ideal for modern, global cuisine. When it comes to food pairing and entertaining, New Zealand Pinot Noir is a wonderful choice as it is so versatile - it's light enough for fish or chicken but will also complement richer red meats." 

As the name suggests, Pinot Noir is derived from the French words for pine and black. It is predominantly grown in the cooler southern regions of the country, including Wairarapa, Marlborough, Nelson, North Canterbury, Central Otago, Waitaki Valley, and cooler sub-regions of Hawke’s Bay.