What would New Zealand wineries turn to if consumers stopped drinking Sauvignon Blanc?

In the 2004 box-office hit Sideways, womanising character Jack Cole tries to get wine snob Miles Raymond to drink a glass of merlot with him while on a road trip to Santa Barbara County. Raymond’s reply: “If anyone orders merlot, I’m leaving. I’m not drinking any f—ing merlot!” It was just a one-line joke in a movie, but after the film’s US release, California’s wine industry suffered a drop in merlot sales and pinot noir became the rising star.