KEY POINTS:
Wine drinkers in the lucrative US market are developing a taste for the rich flavours and soft tannins of pinot noir.
Sales of pinot noir in US supermarkets and off-licence premises have shown double digit growth in the past year according to results of a survey released by ACNielsen.
Although pinot noir sales only make up 4.2 per cent of the total dollar amount spent on wine, that figure is up by a third on last year's sales and makes it the fastest growing wine variety in the market.
This is great news for New Zealand pinot noir producers who are gathered in Wellington for Pinot Noir 2007, a four day celebration of all things pinot.
"Pinot noir is such a hot subject in the States as ACNielsen shows," said Chris Yorke, marketing director at New Zealand Winegrowers. "We're doing really well. The States is our largest market for pinot noir."
Yorke said roughly 40 per cent of New Zealand's pinot noir exports go to the States.
Yorke said marketing efforts by the industry are focussed US with the aim to make it the largest export market in 2007.
Wine exports to the States increased by close to 80 per cent in December alone, said Yorke.
"The wine market is increasing. The premium wine market's increasing even more. And New Zealand wines really suit the American lifestyle and foods," said Yorke.
Pinot Noir 2007 has attracted 500 wine industry insiders from around the world to discuss, and most importantly taste Pinot Noir - an estimated 9000 bottles of wine will be poured into 12,000 tasting glasses over the course of the event.
