Getting a taste for new varieties (NZ)

This is one of the most frustrating times of the year for people like me. I have tasted some great grape juice that is now being processed into a finished product and I can’t wait to taste the final results of the 2012 vintage. One thing I am looking forward to most is the latest version of several wine varieties that are relatively new to New Zealand. Wines like Arneis, Gruner Veltliner and Muscat have been produced here for a few years, but as viticulturists and winemakers come to grips with how the vines perform in New Zealand conditions, we are starting to see some fantastic wines hitting the shelves, writes Neil Hodgson in the Nelson Mail.