The 2024 Cuisine ‘other whites’ tasting will live in infamy as the first year that there were enough albariños to have their own class. New Zealand’s first albariño was made in 2011 and now the day we have dreamed of has finally arrived. Seeing the number of examples grow over the past years has been exhilarating for lovers of the varietal such as myself and head judge Simon Nunns.

To add to our collective giddiness, the top five wines come from Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough, which is a clear example that albariño can excel across a range of New Zealand terroirs and regions.

While this class is still small we believe it is far from its peak so we will do whatever we can to champion the wine. It’s not wholly selfish, it’s practically altruistic as we know that once you crack and sip your first New Zealand albariño from the selection below, you’ll thank us.