New Zealand Wine Navigator: Boutique New Zealand Wines from Boutique New Zealand Producers

Graham Painter, Founder and CEO of New Zealand Wine Navigator, is dedicated to bringing America the finest small-production wines from New Zealand. His journey began with a simple quest to find exceptional New Zealand wines beyond the well-known labels, leading him to establish a company that connects wine lovers with hard to find, premium selections from family-owned estates. Through New Zealand Wine Navigator, Painter has built a bridge between passionate winemakers and US consumers, ensuring that these unique, high-quality wines reach a wider audience. DeliveryRank offers you an exclusive interview.

New Zealand produces less than 1% of the world's wine yet offers a diverse range of varieties and styles. What unique climatic and geographical factors contribute to the distinctiveness of New Zealand wines?

New Zealand’s unique geography and climate play a defining role in shaping the country’s diverse wine regions. While New Zealand may seem small on the map, its geographical scale is significant—comparable to almost the length of the US West Coast. As an island nation with a maritime climate, it offers a vast range of microclimates and terroirs due to its extensive latitude range and geological diversity. The maritime climate exception is Central Otago which is a true Continental cold climate region. 

In the North Island, regions like Northland experience a subtropical climate, while Waiheke Island, just off Auckland, benefits from a distinct maritime influence. Further south, Gisborne stands out for its dry-farmed vineyards, and Hawke’s Bay, with its numerous subregions, offers varied climates and soils, including the renowned Gimblett Gravels. Martinborough, known for its Pinot Noir, faces strong winds that naturally reduce disease pressure.

Crossing to the South Island, Nelson and Marlborough compete for the country’s longest sunshine hours, with Marlborough establishing itself as a global powerhouse for Sauvignon Blanc. Central Otago experiences a longer growing season, with harvests extending into May,  endures extreme temperature variations and minimal rainfall, producing intensely concentrated wines.

Each of these regions contributes to the rich tapestry of New Zealand wine, where distinctive terroirs and challenging growing conditions result in wines with unique character and complexity.

The New Zealand Wine Navigator emphasizes partnerships with small, family estate producers. What criteria do you use to select these boutique wineries, and how do these collaborations enhance the quality and exclusivity of your wine offerings?

Cameron Douglas, New Zealand’s first and only Master Sommelier, plays a crucial role in selecting the portfolio  With fewer than 300 Master Sommeliers worldwide, his expertise is highly valued. His focus is on wines that offer a true expression of the grape, emphasizing minimal intervention and sustainability.

While mass-produced wines often require significant manipulation due to the sheer volume of grapes harvested, Cameron seeks wines that remain as natural as possible. A key factor in this is New Zealand’s commitment to sustainability—an impressive 96-97% of the country’s vineyards are part of the New Zealand Sustainability Programme. This isn’t just a label; it involves rigorous annual audits, and those who fail to meet the evolving standards lose their certification.

Sustainability in New Zealand’s wine industry means no or minimal added sugar—whatever the grape’s natural sugar levels (Brix) are at harvest, that’s what determines the wine’s final profile. While many vineyards adhere to organic principles, not all pursue official organic certification, often due to regulatory challenges in key export markets like the U.S. The U.S. government requires organic wines to be sulphur-free, but since sulphur occurs naturally in wine, its complete removal affects longevity, making cellar aging difficult.

Ultimately, Cameron’s focus is on wines crafted with integrity, whether from small producers making just a few thousand cases or much larger vineyards. His objective is to select  wines that reflect both the region and the commitment to sustainable, minimal-intervention winemaking.

Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas curates your wine portfolio. Can you discuss the process and standards involved in this curation, and how his expertise influences the selection of wines available to your customers?

All of this comes down to Cameron’s expertise, but ultimately, he tastes each wine to determine how well it aligns with what he believes the US palate is looking for—a preference that continues to evolve.

Take our Syrah, for example. While it comes from the same grape as Australian Shiraz, the expression is entirely different. It also differs from Syrah produced in California, Washington, or Oregon. Generally, New Zealand Syrah tends to be lighter, less heavy on the palate, and may have a slightly lower alcohol content. But above all, New Zealand winemakers will look for wines that stay true to the grape’s character.

Even experienced tasters can sometimes struggle to distinguish between similar varietals, such as Syrah and Cabernet. That’s why it’s so essential to craft wines that express their distinctiveness. Our Pinot Noirs, for instance, lean more toward the Burgundian style rather than the richer, fruit-forward expressions commonly found on the US West Coast.

And, of course, we cannot overlook the dominance of our Sauvignon Blancs. But even within this category, there is immense variation—just as with any varietal. Some Sauvignon Blancs are more restrained and mineral-driven, while others showcase the bold, tropical fruit notes that have made New Zealand’s style famous worldwide.

The 'Explorers Club' offers members access to rare and special wines with significant discounts. What inspired the creation of this club, and how does it enhance the wine experience for enthusiasts seeking unique New Zealand wines?

Ultimately, our goal is to showcase the incredible variety and quality of wines available in New Zealand. Whether it’s a classic Sauvignon Blanc or something unexpected—like the beautifully crafted Darling organic Sauvignon Blanc (which we can label as organic in New Zealand but not in the U..S.)—there’s something for everyone.

Many people claim they don’t drink Sauvignon Blanc, but once they taste Darling, their reaction is often, “Oh my gosh, I could definitely drink this!” That’s the kind of experience we want to create—helping people discover wines they may not have considered before.

Beyond Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand offers an impressive range of varietals, including Pinot Grigio, Riesling, and Cabernet. We also have a stunning Méthode Traditionnelle from No. 1 Family Estate, crafted by Daniel Le Brun. He arrived in New Zealand over 50 years ago and was the first to produce a true Méthode Traditionnelle here. His family has been making Champagne for 12 generations—so you could say it’s in his blood! Of course, we can’t call it Champagne, but it’s a remarkable expression of the style, demonstrating the craftsmanship and heritage that New Zealand winemaking has to offer.

Your recent release, 'The Serious Wine Buyer’s Guide to New Zealand Wine,' aims to educate consumers about the country's wine offerings. What key insights or lesser-known facts does this guide provide, and how do you envision it influencing wine buyers' perceptions of New Zealand wines?

We’re entering an exciting new phase with our revamped consumer program in the US, and I couldn’t be more thrilled! Since we own our own US import company, we have the unique advantage of selling directly to consumers across 40+ states. This gives us an incredible opportunity to showcase the depth and diversity of New Zealand wines beyond just Sauvignon Blanc.

With this new direct-to-consumer program, we’re introducing smaller volumes to give people a real taste of what New Zealand has to offer across a range of varietals. It’s exciting to see how consumer preferences are evolving in the US, and I’m looking forward to sharing more of our wines with a wider audience.

COVID was a tough period for us—we lost several smaller distributors, and with most of the big distributors locked in with large Sauvignon Blanc producers, it was a real challenge. But we’ve come back stronger, and this new initiative is a fresh start. I’m excited to see how people will respond to it! We’re planning to offer unique experiences and promotions to really engage wine lovers—there’s so much to look forward to!

If you would like to find out more about New Zealand Wine Navigator, please visit https://nzwinenav.com/