British wine drinkers will soon be quaffing New Zealand sweet riesling for the first time after Europe lifted a long-standing trade barrier on sweet wine imports.
New Zealand winemakers were given the all-clear to export sweet wines, such as botrytised riesling and pinot gris, to Europe last month, and some are already pushing their way on to British wine lists.
While sweet wines represent less than 1 per cent of the wine produced in New Zealand, many in the industry said lifting the ban would significantly boost the country’s premium producer reputation.