Tamaki Makaurau – The Giesen Estate riesling, Rapaura Springs’ reserve sauvignon blanc and the Church Road chardonnay are the winners the annual releases of the 2022 New World Wine Awards Top 50 wines under $25.
The list reveals the best-of-the-best in thew 20th annual New World wine competition after expert judges swirled, sniffed, tasted, debated and scored their way through more than 1200 different wines to determine the 50 top-ranked gold medal winners.
Co-chair of the judges Sam Kin says the multi-winning wines and wineries are their excellence year after year, bottle after bottle.
“Their achievements are great news for wine-drinkers who are on the lookout for quality and consistency at an affordable price, and well worth a toast.”
Also returning to the Top 50 as a champion is the Lindauer Vintage Series Brut Cuvée 2017, great value at under $20 for a bottle-fermented Kiwi bubbly that could easily rival a favourite French champagne.
In the reds, boutique wine company SOHO Wines is celebrating a momentous third year in the top 50 with their SOHO Bobby Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021 taking out champion pinot.
The 2022 New World Wine Awards Top 50 – all under $25 are:
| Wine name and vintage | Variety | Origin | Score | Champions |
| Anchorage Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2022 | Sauvignon Blanc | Nelson | 95 | |
| Arrogant Frog Ribet Pink Rosé 2021 | Rosé | France | 95 | |
| Brancott Estate Letter Series O Marlborough Chardonnay 2021 | Chardonnay | Marlborough | 95 | |
| Castillo Ducay Cariñena 2020 | Red Blends | Spain | 95 | |
| Church Road McDonald Series Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021 | Chardonnay | Hawke’s Bay | 96 | Champion Chardonnay & Champion White Wine of the Show |
| Esk Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022 | Sauvignon Blanc | Marlborough | 95 | |
| Gancia Prosecco Rosé DOC 2020 | Bubbles | Italy | 95 | |
| Giesen Estate Riesling 2021 | Aromatics | New Zealand | 95 | |
| Graham Norton Prosecco DOC | Bubbles | Italy | 95 | |
| Grande Cuvée 1531 de Aimery Brut Rosé | Bubbles | France | 95 | |
| Grant Burge Fifth Generation Cabernet Merlot 2021 | Red Blends | Australia | 95 | Champion Red Blend |
| Jacobs Creek Double Barrel Shiraz Cabernet 2019 | Red Blends | Australia | 95 | |
| La Vieille Ferme Rosé 2021 | Rosé | France | 95 | |
| Leftfield Hawkes Bay Pinot Gris 2022 | Pinot Gris | Hawke’s Bay | 95 | |
| Lindauer Vintage Series Brut Cuvée 2017 | Bubbles | Gisborne | 96 | Champion Bubbles |
| Main Divide North Canterbury Gewürztraminer 2020 | Aromatics | North Canterbury | 95 | |
| Mount Riley Marlborough Albariño 2022 | Aromatics | Marlborough | 96 | Champion Aromatic |
| Mount Riley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021 | Pinot Noir | Marlborough | 95 | |
| Mud House Single Vineyard Home Block Waipara Valley Pinot Gris 2021 | Pinot Gris | North Canterbury | 95 | |
| Mud House Waipara Valley Riesling 2022 | Aromatics | North Canterbury | 95 | |
| Pepperjack Barossa Shiraz 2020 | Shiraz & Syrah | Australia | 95 | Champion Shiraz & Syrah |
| Rapaura Springs Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2022 | Sauvignon Blanc | Marlborough | 96 | Champion Sauvignon Blanc |
| Roaring Meg Central Otago Pinot Noir Rosé 2022 | Rosé | Central Otago | 95 | |
| RUA Pinot Noir 2021 | Pinot Noir | Central Otago | 95 | |
| Russian Jack Marlborough Pinot Gris 2022 | Pinot Gris | Marlborough | 96 | Champion Pinot Gris |
| Sacred Hill Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2022 | Rosé | Hawke’s Bay | 95 | |
| Sacred Hill Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020 | Chardonnay | Hawke’s Bay | 95 | |
| Saint Clair James Sinclair Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2021 | Shiraz & Syrah | Hawke’s Bay | 95 | |
| Saint Clair Origin Marlborough Pinot Gris 2021 | Pinot Gris | Marlborough | 95 | |
| Selaks Taste Collection Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2022 | Rosé | Hawke’s Bay | 96 | Champion Rosé |
| SOHO Bobby Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021 | Pinot Noir | Marlborough | 96 | Champion Pinot Noir & Champion Red Wine of the Show |
| SOHO Ziggy Marlborough Pinot Gris 2022 | Pinot Gris | Marlborough | 95 | |
| Squawking Magpie First Flight Chardonnay 2020 | Chardonnay | Hawke’s Bay | 95 | |
| Stoneleigh Rapaura Marlborough Chardonnay 2021 | Chardonnay | Marlborough | 95 | |
| Sugar Loaf Southern Valleys Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020 | Pinot Noir | Marlborough | 95 | |
| Taylors Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 | Single Variety Reds | Australia | 95 | |
| The Last Shepherd Gisborne Chardonnay 2021 | Chardonnay | Gisborne | 95 | |
| Thornbury Hawkes Bay Rosé 2022 | Rosé | Hawke’s Bay | 95 | |
| Tohu Awatere Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019 | Pinot Noir | Marlborough | 95 | |
| Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec 2021 | Single Variety Reds | Argentina | 95 | |
| Vavasour Awatere Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022 | Sauvignon Blanc | Marlborough | 95 | |
| Verde Brut | Bubbles | Gisborne | 95 | |
| Vigneti Romio Romagna DOC Sangiovese Superiore Riserva 2018 | Red Blends | Italy | 95 | |
| Villa Maria Private Bin East Coast Pinot Gris 2022 | Pinot Gris | Other / Regional Blend | 95 | |
| Villa Maria Private Bin Hawkes Bay Merlot 2021 | Single Variety Reds | Hawke’s Bay | 95 | |
| Vina Borgia by Borsao Organic Garnacha 2020 | Single Variety Reds | Spain | 95 | |
| Wairau River Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022 | Sauvignon Blanc | Marlborough | 95 | |
| Wild Grace Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2021 | Shiraz & Syrah | Hawke’s Bay | 95 | |
| Yalumba Y Series Tempranillo 2021 | Single Variety Reds | Australia | 96 | Champion Single Variety Red |
| Yealands Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022 | Sauvignon Blanc | Marlborough | 95 |
The Giesen Estate Riesling, Rapaura Springs reserve sauvignon blanc and the Church Road chardonnay are the winners the annual releases of the 2022 New World Wine Awards Top 50 wines under $25.
The list reveals the best-of-the-best in thew 20th annual New World wine competition after expert judges swirled, sniffed, tasted, debated and scored their way through more than 1200 different wines to determine the 50 top-ranked gold medal winners.
Co-chair of the judges Sam Kin says the multi-winning wines and wineries are their excellence year after year, bottle after bottle.
“Their achievements are great news for wine-drinkers who are on the lookout for quality and consistency at an affordable price, and well worth a toast.”
Also returning to the Top 50 as a champion is the Lindauer Vintage Series Brut Cuvée 2017, great value at under $20 for a bottle-fermented Kiwi bubbly that could easily rival a favourite French champagne.
In the reds, boutique wine company SOHO Wines is celebrating a momentous third year in the top 50 with their SOHO Bobby Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021 taking out champion pinot.
The 2022 New World Wine Awards Top 50 – all under $25 are:
| Wine name and vintage | Variety | Origin | Score | Champions |
| Anchorage Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2022 | Sauvignon Blanc | Nelson | 95 | |
| Arrogant Frog Ribet Pink Rosé 2021 | Rosé | France | 95 | |
| Brancott Estate Letter Series O Marlborough Chardonnay 2021 | Chardonnay | Marlborough | 95 | |
| Castillo Ducay Cariñena 2020 | Red Blends | Spain | 95 | |
| Church Road McDonald Series Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021 | Chardonnay | Hawke’s Bay | 96 | Champion Chardonnay & Champion White Wine of the Show |
| Esk Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022 | Sauvignon Blanc | Marlborough | 95 | |
| Gancia Prosecco Rosé DOC 2020 | Bubbles | Italy | 95 | |
| Giesen Estate Riesling 2021 | Aromatics | New Zealand | 95 | |
| Graham Norton Prosecco DOC | Bubbles | Italy | 95 | |
| Grande Cuvée 1531 de Aimery Brut Rosé | Bubbles | France | 95 | |
| Grant Burge Fifth Generation Cabernet Merlot 2021 | Red Blends | Australia | 95 | Champion Red Blend |
| Jacobs Creek Double Barrel Shiraz Cabernet 2019 | Red Blends | Australia | 95 | |
| La Vieille Ferme Rosé 2021 | Rosé | France | 95 | |
| Leftfield Hawkes Bay Pinot Gris 2022 | Pinot Gris | Hawke’s Bay | 95 | |
| Lindauer Vintage Series Brut Cuvée 2017 | Bubbles | Gisborne | 96 | Champion Bubbles |
| Main Divide North Canterbury Gewürztraminer 2020 | Aromatics | North Canterbury | 95 | |
| Mount Riley Marlborough Albariño 2022 | Aromatics | Marlborough | 96 | Champion Aromatic |
| Mount Riley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021 | Pinot Noir | Marlborough | 95 | |
| Mud House Single Vineyard Home Block Waipara Valley Pinot Gris 2021 | Pinot Gris | North Canterbury | 95 | |
| Mud House Waipara Valley Riesling 2022 | Aromatics | North Canterbury | 95 | |
| Pepperjack Barossa Shiraz 2020 | Shiraz & Syrah | Australia | 95 | Champion Shiraz & Syrah |
| Rapaura Springs Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2022 | Sauvignon Blanc | Marlborough | 96 | Champion Sauvignon Blanc |
| Roaring Meg Central Otago Pinot Noir Rosé 2022 | Rosé | Central Otago | 95 | |
| RUA Pinot Noir 2021 | Pinot Noir | Central Otago | 95 | |
| Russian Jack Marlborough Pinot Gris 2022 | Pinot Gris | Marlborough | 96 | Champion Pinot Gris |
| Sacred Hill Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2022 | Rosé | Hawke’s Bay | 95 | |
| Sacred Hill Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020 | Chardonnay | Hawke’s Bay | 95 | |
| Saint Clair James Sinclair Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2021 | Shiraz & Syrah | Hawke’s Bay | 95 | |
| Saint Clair Origin Marlborough Pinot Gris 2021 | Pinot Gris | Marlborough | 95 | |
| Selaks Taste Collection Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2022 | Rosé | Hawke’s Bay | 96 | Champion Rosé |
| SOHO Bobby Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021 | Pinot Noir | Marlborough | 96 | Champion Pinot Noir & Champion Red Wine of the Show |
| SOHO Ziggy Marlborough Pinot Gris 2022 | Pinot Gris | Marlborough | 95 | |
| Squawking Magpie First Flight Chardonnay 2020 | Chardonnay | Hawke’s Bay | 95 | |
| Stoneleigh Rapaura Marlborough Chardonnay 2021 | Chardonnay | Marlborough | 95 | |
| Sugar Loaf Southern Valleys Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020 | Pinot Noir | Marlborough | 95 | |
| Taylors Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 | Single Variety Reds | Australia | 95 | |
| The Last Shepherd Gisborne Chardonnay 2021 | Chardonnay | Gisborne | 95 | |
| Thornbury Hawkes Bay Rosé 2022 | Rosé | Hawke’s Bay | 95 | |
| Tohu Awatere Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019 | Pinot Noir | Marlborough | 95 | |
| Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec 2021 | Single Variety Reds | Argentina | 95 | |
| Vavasour Awatere Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022 | Sauvignon Blanc | Marlborough | 95 | |
| Verde Brut | Bubbles | Gisborne | 95 | |
| Vigneti Romio Romagna DOC Sangiovese Superiore Riserva 2018 | Red Blends | Italy | 95 | |
| Villa Maria Private Bin East Coast Pinot Gris 2022 | Pinot Gris | Other / Regional Blend | 95 | |
| Villa Maria Private Bin Hawkes Bay Merlot 2021 | Single Variety Reds | Hawke’s Bay | 95 | |
| Vina Borgia by Borsao Organic Garnacha 2020 | Single Variety Reds | Spain | 95 | |
| Wairau River Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022 | Sauvignon Blanc | Marlborough | 95 | |
| Wild Grace Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2021 | Shiraz & Syrah | Hawke’s Bay | 95 | |
| Yalumba Y Series Tempranillo 2021 | Single Variety Reds | Australia | 96 | Champion Single Variety Red |
| Yealands Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022 | Sauvignon Blanc | Marlborough | 95 |
Photo: NWWA 22 Co Chairs Sam Kim and Jen Parr
