One of Australia's leading wine commentators and critics says a great characteristic of the wine industry in New Zealand is that there's still room for the small producer.
Lester Jesberg who's on a brief visit to Hawke's Bay, is editor of the Canberra based Winewise magazine.
The staff blind taste and review more than 2500 wines a year from around the world.
He says unfortunately multi-national companies rule wine production in Australia.
Mr Jesberg says Australia does produce some lovely wines and a lot of it is fault-free but boring.
"I think that's where the small producer comes in, the small producer puts their own imprint on wine, produces it in small quantities and there's a real distinctiveness about it that relates to the place the grapes were grown and the wine making input."
He says there are a number of outstanding family owned wineries in New Zealand and that's where its strength is.
