U.S. Wine Magnate Banks On New Zealand

(Wine-Searcher) - Charles Banks, the former owner of Screaming Eagle, has extended his winery interests to New Zealand and intends to fly the flag not for Kiwi sauvignon blanc, but syrah.

The millionaire has announced that he has purchased a stake in the Hawke’s Bay winery Trinity Hill for an undisclosed sum.

His company Terroir Selections has purchased 25 percent of the Kiwi winery but will become a controlling shareholder, owning 70 percent of the business, subject to receiving overseas investment approval.

Banks has plans to invest millions into the region, building a new winery specifically for its top-end reds, which include a Bordeaux blend, a syrah and a tempranillo.

And if you're wondering where Hawke's Bay is, you are not alone. "If you talk to very well-educated wine drinkers, there are a few Hawke's Bay brands they have heard of," he told Wine-Searcher.

But Banks admits there's plenty of work to be done to promote the region, which is situated in the Mediterranean-like maritime climate of New Zealand's North Island,

"Hawke's Bay has been underappreciated and under-marketed relative to other areas and I hope we can play a little bit of a role in exposing what a terrific wine growing region it is. Hawke's Bay syrah is amazing."

Classic New Zealand syrah has a ripe black fruit profile with cracked black pepper aromas revealing its cooler origins. Fresh acidity and alcohol levels rarely topping 14 percent are typical of this cooler expression of the grape.