Wine & Food in New Zealand

New Zealand is a land of plenty and boasts European, Southern American, Asian and Indian, as well as American and Polynesian restaurants. When eating out in New Zealand, you can usually count on very creatively made up plates, generous portions and fantastic value for money.

International acclaim New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is rated throughout the world as the definitive benchmark style for this varietal. The growing recognition for New Zealand Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Méthode Traditionelle sparkling wines, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blends is helping to further cement New Zealand's position as a producer of world class wines.

• Lamb is naturally one of the most popular and traditional dishes and generally on the menu of almost every restaurant.
• Beef is excellent and reasonably priced and a favourite of the traditional barbeque.
• Sausages are very tasty and come in all shapes and sizes and often served at takeaway shops or at a typical kiwi barbeque.
• New Zealander's are also partial to farm-raised venison, veal, duck pheasant and wild pork.
• A Maori specialty is the hangi (feast), a traditional food steamed to perfection in an underground oven.
• New Zealand's bountiful variety of shellfish ranges from Toheroa, Pipi, Paua and Oysters to Lobsters and Crayfish.
• Other Seafood, such as Cod, Flounder, Kingfish, Snapper and Squid are all good tasting and widely available.
• Freshwater fish lovers can easily find fresh and smoked salmon.
• Rainbow or brown trout from a crystal-clear steam is a real treat. 
• Trout is not sold commercially, but if you catch one, most restaurants will prepare it for you at request.
• Fresh fruit and vegetables are abundant throughout the year. 
• The kiwifruit was developed in NZ (originally brought over from central China almost a century ago).
• New Zealand's rich dairy foods are lethal to the waistline but delicious. 
• There is a wide variety of tasty cheeses, including local Camembert, Feta, Romano and blue vein.
• Climate and geography have combined to produce highly distinctive, premium quality wines. New Zealand Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc have won many awards in recent years at international Wine Challenges around the world.
• The Capital Wellington has more cafes and restaurants per head of population than New York City.