The global interest in Pinot Noir continues to rise, but New Zealand’s share of the market remains underwhelming despite a growing demand for the varietal. At the New Zealand Pinot Noir 2025 conference in Christchurch, Wine-Searcher’s wine director David Allen shared key insights into the data surrounding the grape’s worldwide reach and the shifting dynamics of supply and demand.
Allen utilized Wine-Searcher’s extensive database of wine offers and price history to analyze how New Zealand Pinot Noir stands today, compared to its position at the 2017 Pinot Noir conference. He started by offering a broader view of Wine-Searcher’s data growth, revealing that the platform now lists 14.7 million live offers for wines and spirits, a significant increase from the 6.7 million offers recorded eight years ago. This expansion is not only due to the growing number of products on the market but also to advancements in Wine-Searcher’s ability to capture data.
Wine-Searcher now tracks over 850,000 products listed by 37,500 merchants and auctions across 130 global markets, with about 5 million unique users visiting the site each month.
Pinot Noir has seen notable growth in both searches and offers, as reflected in Allen’s data. In 2016, Pinot Noir accounted for 10.5% of all global wine searches, with 12.8 million queries out of a total of 122 million. By 2024, that number more than doubled to 27.2 million searches, comprising 15.5% of global wine queries, with the majority of interest coming from the United States.
Similarly, the number of Pinot Noir offers listed on Wine-Searcher also increased. In December 2016, there were 500,000 offers for Pinot Noir, representing 9.5% of all global wine offers. By December 2024, that number grew to 1.1 million, making up 11.5% of global offers.
Despite these increases, the competition has shifted. Bordeaux red blends have seen a decline in interest, dropping from 22.3% of searches in 2016 to 17.4% in 2024. Chardonnay, however, has gained ground, rising from 6% to 10.3% over the same period, reflecting Burgundy’s increasing popularity.
As for global trends, Allen highlighted that Pinot Noir searches are not evenly spread across regions. France leads with 22.5% of the searches, followed closely by Hong Kong (21.4%) and China (20.8%). Other markets, including the UK, New Zealand, the US, and Australia, each accounted for smaller shares, ranging from 13% to 15.5%.
When narrowing the focus to New Zealand, Allen examined the domestic landscape of the country’s wine offerings. In 2024, New Zealand Pinot Noir accounted for 32.4% of searches, a small increase from 2016, while Sauvignon Blanc remained the dominant variety, making up 35% of searches. However, Sauvignon Blanc’s share has fallen from 45% in 2016, with Chardonnay showing slow but steady growth at 12.6%.
Interestingly, the number of offers for New Zealand wines presents a different picture. While Sauvignon Blanc represents 45.1% of New Zealand’s offers in 2024, Pinot Noir lags at 20.7%, a decrease from 24% in 2016. Chardonnay remains relatively stable at 9.4%. This discrepancy highlights a key challenge for New Zealand Pinot Noir – increased demand for the variety has not translated into proportional growth in offers.
Geographically, the distribution of offers for New Zealand wines has shifted significantly. The United States now accounts for 44% of offers for New Zealand wines, up from 28.4% in 2016, while New Zealand’s own market share has grown slightly to 27.7%. Meanwhile, both the UK and Australia have seen their shares of New Zealand wine offers drop dramatically, with the UK offering only 6.1% in 2024, down from 16.6% in 2016.
Overall, while New Zealand Pinot Noir’s global presence has increased in terms of both interest and offers, the country still faces challenges in capitalizing on this demand. As Allen pointed out, New Zealand has a unique opportunity to position itself in both lower and higher price tiers, particularly given the rise of Burgundian varietals. However, for New Zealand Pinot Noir to truly succeed, it must amplify its presence and raise its voice in the crowded global marketplace.
The key takeaway from the conference: the world is eager for New Zealand Pinot Noir, but the country must work harder to make its mark.
Related topics:
