The Black Caps' recent prowess in the Cricket World Cup has brought a strong vein of pride and patriotism to the fore.
Wine drinkers too often feel a degree of chauvinistic pride in ''drinking Kiwi''. Perhaps there are some parallels in the growing ''locavore'' movement, in which people choose to consume produce grown close to home rather than from far afield.
But do we always know what we are getting?Many years ago, friends at a dinner party decided to test the ''wine expert''.
A glass of red wine was poured and I was asked what it was and where it was from.
I was pretty confident it was a Spanish grenache.
A well-known Kiwi cask wine was unveiled: they had me!
Puzzled, I asked to read the back label.
In small lettering was ''Produce of Spain, France, South Africa and New Zealand''.
That group thought they were drinking local: they were actually buying imported wine sold by a local company.
Should that worry you?
Hardly.
This is the supply-and-demand equation at work.
Consumers demand a consistent, drinkable wine at a sharp price: in the case of red-wine casks in particular, we cannot produce wine here cheaply enough to meet the required price points, so we source it abroad and package it here.
Supply meets demand.
New Zealand is a small, mostly high quality producer: we have neither the hot climate nor the acreage required to produce the sea of pleasant, inexpensive red wine that fills our casks and cheaper bottled wines.
C'est la vie.
If, however, you do feel a surge of national pride welling in your chest and demand to drink Kiwi, you may need to look a little closer, and read the fine print.
Here are three New Zealand-grown and produced wines that offer super value for money: even more so when they are on special.
Price: $16.99 (often less on special)
Rating: Very Good
Nicely varietal nose with peach, oatmeal and a deft touch of oak. Honeyed palate with a fresh, nectarine lift. Excellent length. Good weight to this wine but remains light on its feet.
Price: $17 (usually $12 or$13 on special)
Rating: Excellent
Ripe red and black berries with a seasoning of pepper. Medium weight on the palate but great fruit persistence and supple texture. A good example of flavour intensity rather than sheer heft. Fruit lifts on the finish with some tannin and a whisper of oak. A very well-made wine.
Price: Around $17 (usually$12 or $13 on special)
Rating: Excellent
The nose is a little tight as yet, giving little away, but I feel this will blossom. Powerful palate with Xmas pudding, nutmeg, five spice and herbs. Very together and balanced with seamless flow in the mouth. Nicely tannic backbone. This one could reward a few years in the cellar.
