Giesen Wines – A Wine For Every Occasion

Is Giesen wine good? Does Giesen wine have alcohol? Where is Giesen wine from? We’re answering all your questions about Giesen wine.

Giesen Winery is one of the top 10 wineries in New Zealand. Giesen Wines, was founded in 1981 by the brothers Alex, Theo, and Marcel. Its products are sold in 33 nations.

The three Giesen Brothers have consistently produced excellent wines since their first vintage in 1984, always marching to their well-known beat.

With a belief in providing wine for every occasion as more and more people seek out options for how they drink alcohol, who better to provide a 0% option than seasoned award-winning winemakers with the know-how to produce a superb non-alcoholic wine?

The Giesen Wine Story

The history of Giesen Wines started when three teenage brothers established a hobby vineyard in their native Germany. Or possibly it began with their grandfather August, a sommelier and restaurateur, two generations earlier.

In any case, the stonemason’s three sons intended to continue the family business in Germany. Theo and Alex Giesen, however, bought land and established a vineyard just outside of Christchurch in 1981 on a whim while they were traveling the world and because it reminded them of home; at the time, it was the world’s most southern vineyard.

Marcel, the younger brother, enrolled in a winemaking program, and four years later, he joined Theo and Alex on the South Island of New Zealand to begin producing wine from their vineyard.

The three Giesen brothers have aimed to make outstanding wines since their first harvest in 1984. And for the past three decades, as their business has expanded, they have stayed faithful to their mission, producing fantastic wines that people like drinking.

Giesen started producing Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc after that first vintage, and it immediately became popular.

An overview of Giesen Wines

The three brothers understood the importance of a cool environment for producing flavorful wines, drawing on their German history. Since then, Giesen Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has become a success thanks to the adoration of wine enthusiasts worldwide. Hence, purchasing Dillon’s Point Vineyard in the Wairau Valley, their first Marlborough property, in 1993 was a logical next step. 

They developed their Marlborough winery in 2000, which has grown yearly since. They have carefully collected vineyards throughout the prestigious Wairau Valley, using Marlborough as their home base for winemaking. With access to grapes produced in various microclimates thanks to these vineyards, Giesen’s winemaking team may choose fruit with various flavor profiles, which is ideal for regularly producing excellent wines.

Marlborough and its Sauvignon Blanc have gained notoriety on a global scale. Today, a wide variety of Sauvignon Blanc is available in the Giesen line, ranging from low alcohol to organic and ultra-premium single vineyards. Also, they are winning praise for their German-style Estate Riesling, Chardonnay, and cool-climate Marlborough Pinot Noir, to name a few.

Before establishing a completely organic, tightly planted Pinot Noir and Syrah vineyard there, Giesen tore out the Ridge Vineyard in the Wairau Valley and left the land fallow for two vintages. Now, 11% of Giesen vineyards are organically certified. Giesen is able to produce a variety of flavor-filled, honor-winning organic wines thanks to organic vineyards.

After a lengthy lease, Giesen bought the coveted organic Clayvin, the first substantial hillside vineyard in Marlborough, in 2015. This major expansion of Giesen’s vineyard holdings complements its portfolio of premium wines and winemaking innovation.

The Giesen brothers urged the winemaking staff to start pushing the envelope in 2009, the same year they started their organic adventure. Beginning with dozens of small batches of wines, the winemaking team experimented with tame and wild yeasts, different vineyard blocks, various viticultural techniques, and alternative maturation and winemaking methods. The foundation of Giesen’s premium winemaking has been built on these wines and the lessons discovered while making them.

The Giesen Vineyards

The Giesen Vineyards sit in a remarkable nautical environment, extended sunshine hours, soil structure, and can-do attitude of Kiwis make New Zealand’s 1,600km (1000 miles) from subtropical Northland (36° S) to the world’s most southerly grape growing area Central Otago (47° S) an exceptional place to create wine.

New Zealand wine is renowned for its purity, vitality, and intensity. Extended ripening times—resulting from mild temperatures—enable flavor development while preserving fresh acidity; this balance is what makes New Zealand wines so well-known.

Giesen’s Marlborough Vineyards

Giesen wine’s home is in Marlborough, New Zealand, near the highest top of the South Island.

Marlborough’s cool climate wines offer a singularly fresh experience since they are produced in a region where nature speaks for itself and wines require little care. Purity and flavor intensity are to be anticipated, centered on a powerful scent, recognizable fruit, and appealing, well-balanced acidity.

The local climate greatly influences Marlborough’s personality. The fruit is influenced by solar exposure, chilly nights, and sea breezes almost as much as by the soil. 

Most soils on the valley floor were deposited during the previous 24,000 years. Glaciers in the high mountains carved and eroded them, and rivers fed by snowmelt transported them to the coast. The proximity to riverbeds and exposure to wind impact the composition of these free-draining alluvial soils, resulting in various soil types across the area.

Giesen established ties with about fifty of the greatest producers in the area and with four of their own Marlborough vineyards, which were carefully chosen for their setting and fruit characteristics. This means they can constantly choose the highest quality fruit from every harvest, regardless of the growing circumstances.

Giesen’s Clayvin Vineyard – Southern Valleys

The viticultural heritage of Marlborough is preserved through Clayvin. This exceptional property has 30-year-old vines, solid clay soil, and high-density plantings and receives the finest care and attention deserving of our cherished vineyard. It is planted with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah.

Giesen’s Ridge Block Vineyard – Southern Valleys

Giesen’s Ridge Block Vineyard, proudly certified by BioGro New Zealand, has a particular position in Giesen’s premium organics program because it grows grapes that reflect the area’s history. Fruit with tremendous flavor intensity, structure, and complexity—levels that can sometimes take years to reach—has been produced as a result of high-density planting and meticulous vineyard management.

Giesen’s Dillons Point Vineyard – Lower Wairau Valley

Dillon’s Point was the Giesen brothers’ first Marlborough vineyard acquisition and is the foundation of the company’s premium Sauvignon Blanc program. This vineyard is unique because of the maritime impact, strongly concentrated fruit flavors, the heavy soils’ mineral intensity, and the hand-picked, premium fruit.

Giesen’s Stump Creek Vineyard – Wairau Valley

The Giesen brothers’ Marlborough residence and gathering place is Stump Creek. Visitors are frequently treated to sumptuous home-cooked meals, a match on the small rugby field, or a swim in the pool! Older vines add remarkable strength, and Sauvignon Blanc from Stump Creek is well renowned for its lemon, tamarillo, and passionfruit flavors.

The Wairau Valley

The Wairau Valley, a coveted winegrowing region, is a former riverbed sandwiched between two mountain ranges and bounded north by Cook Strait. This limited sub-region of Marlborough generally includes sea-breeze moderated coastal areas, stony, barren, early-ripening sites, and cooler, drier inland locations. The soils are more gravelly to the north, closer to the river bed.

With such a wide variety, each vineyard and producer is represented in the wines, which all share the pure fruit intensity and body that have made Marlborough famous. The bulk of Giesen wines uses grapes from the Wairau Valley since winemakers value the fruit that this valley produces.

Giesen Wines For Every Occasion

Giesen Wines takes pride in their state-of-the-art winery, located in the heart of Marlborough, keeps its promise to produce outstanding wines that consumers will enjoy. You may have heard about the 1,000-liter German oak Fuder barrels, the fancy wine decanters, or the fact that they were the first winery in New Zealand to purchase a spinning cone machine!

Three significant firsts—the first 0% New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, the first 0% New Zealand red wine, and the first 0% New Zealand Riesling—are included in the Giesen 0% collection currently includes five varietals.

Giesen Wines Sauvignon Blanc

Giesen non-alcoholic Sauvignon Blanc has subtle lime, redcurrant, and lemon shortbread notes. This premium New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is characterized by mouthwatering citrus flavors and unique blackberry and passionfruit aromas.

After the Giesen Sauvignon Blanc’s crisp, dry, and mouthwateringly luscious finish, you will want another drink. It’s refreshing, light, and energizing; ideal for drinking at home, when socializing with loved ones, or whenever you’d want a glass of wine without the drawbacks.

Watch this review from The Sober Barkeep on YouTube to gain more insights about Giesen 0 % Sauvignon Blanc.

Giesen Wines Pinot Gris

Giesen’s non-alcoholic Pinot Gris has a delicate flowery aroma with lychee, white blossoms, and red apples. Traditional Pinot Gris flavors of pear and apple are present on the palate, with just a hint of muscat grape.

A glass of Giesen 0% – New Zealand Pinot Gris has just 18 calories per 100ml, 18 calories less than a standard 12.5% alc/vol Sauvignon Blanc and more than 50% less sugar than many fruit juices.

Since it contains few calories, you can indulge whenever you want to experience the taste of a fine New Zealand Pinot Grigio. Make it your new wine substitute when you have trained the next morning; you must stay alert to watch the kids or before you sober drive.

Giesen Wine Rosé

Giesen’s non-alcoholic New Zealand Rosé features wonderful stone fruit smells of white peach, apple, and fresh strawberries. The bright cranberry flavors and a vibrant, pleasantly dry texture remain on the palate along with those apple and stone fruit undertones. An airy and revitalizing addition to any dinner table or get-together!

A glass of Giesen 0% – New Zealand Rosé has only 13 calories per 100ml. Giesen 0% Rosé fans have expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to drink less while taking care of themselves, sober driving, reducing their sugar intake, managing health issues, moderating, or even just having a big day the following day planned!

Giesen Wines Riesling

Giesen 0% Riesling preserves all the best characteristics of New Zealand’s top-rated Riesling while being made from the best-selling Giesen Estate Riesling. It has the familiar and beloved varietal characteristics, is crisp and refreshing, and has an expressive aroma—only the alcohol has been subtly removed.

Giesen picks grapes from Waipara and Marlborough vineyards. Marlborough fruit gives the wine a citrus flavor, and Waipara fruit lends it flowery undertones, resulting in a stunning, structured Riesling.

The aroma of this non-alcoholic Riesling includes lime, lemon blossom, and elderflower overtones. The taste displays vibrant and cooling Riesling flavors, including zingy lime, luscious mandarin, and exquisite sweetness, all counterbalanced by a crisp, cooling finish.

Giesen Wines Merlot

No matter the occasion, everybody can enjoy the alcohol-free wine Giesen 0% – New Zealand Merlot.

With this non-alcoholic Merlot, expect delicate notes of crushed blackberry and wild herbs. A light and refreshing choice with traditional structure and fine, powdery tannins on the finish is created by crushed red berries and plum balanced by toasted wood on the palate.

This wine pairs well with food because of its structure and excellent tannins; try it with red meats or tapas. Or perhaps it’s a delightful wine option for sunny afternoons because of the amazing lightness.

This non-alcoholic Merlot has only 23 calories (or 18 calories in a 100ml glass) per 125ml serving, 70% fewer calories than a full-strength 12.5% alcohol/volume wine!

The Process of Making Non-Alcoholic Giesen Wines

The top full-strength wines serve as the foundation of the process. It’s the same wine that Giesen sells in their full-strength Estate wines.

They then distill it into three components: aroma, alcohol, and body, using cutting-edge spinning cone technology. The wine’s body and aroma are then combined again, and a small amount of premium grape juice is added to balance the flavors.

Other choices on the market, such as those that don’t require making wine at all or employ more aggressive reverse osmosis techniques, differ slightly from the procedure. Yet, going the extra mile is crucial because it allows them to produce a final blend that is as close to real wine.

Because it can treat delicate fragrances with care, spinning cone technology is a type of distillation useful in producing aroma. This implies that Giesen can successfully remove the alcohol while retaining as many of the lovely, varietally expressive aromas to recombine with the wine body. The final product never contains more than 0.5% alcohol, roughly the same amount as in fruit juice naturally.

The Chief Winemaker has a lot more freedom to experiment with the procedure and create truly excellent alcohol-free wine because they have their own spinning cone on-site. Also, it enables the winemaking team to create the best non-alcoholic Giesen wines possible by working with exceptionally fresh wines.

Giesen’s upscale Foodtec 700 decanters, imported from Europe, can each process up to 15 tonnes of grapes an hour, resulting in fewer steps, better wine, and a smaller environmental impact during the winemaking process. The use of Granite tanks, which were carefully acquired from the area where the Giesen brothers grew up and are ideal for giving the wine more complexity, made them the first winery in New Zealand to do so.

Giesen Wines enjoy producing fine wines for any occasion, and the Giesen 0% line is no exception. Whatever your motivations for selecting a low or no-alcohol wine, the Giesen 0% line is dedicated to giving you high-quality choices that you may savor whenever you choose.

The non-alcoholic line of Giesen Wines adheres to the requirement that non-alcoholic wines must meet 0.5% ABV to be recognized as such by New Zealand and Australian legislation. However, as this is still a wine, it is not advised for anyone under the legal drinking age to consume it.

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