A good summer provided excellent conditions for ripening grapes, but a cool spring reduced the size of the crop by more than 20%, New Zealand Winegrowers chief executive Philip Gregan said.
It meant there would be a shortage of 2015 wines, especially Marlborough sauvignon blanc.
This year's grape harvest had ended with grape growers and winemakers across the country pleased with the quality and flavours of the 2015 vintage wines, he said.
Despite the excellent summer, the cooler spring weather contributed to the marked reduction in the crop.
''Wineries will manage the market implications of the smaller vintage and the precious supply as best they can.''
New Zealand wine, the country's sixth-biggest export commodity, was exported to more than 90 countries and wine exports were valued at $1.39 billion a year.
