New Zealand Winery Loveblock Is First in World to Use Green Tea Tannin Extract as Natural Wine Preservative

Aug 04, 2023

The Kiwi winery’s Loveblock TEE Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc contains no added sulfur and is certified organic

Marlborough, New Zealand (July 31, 2023) – Award-winning Kiwi winery Loveblock is leading the charge in wine innovation with a Sauvignon Blanc thought to be the world’s first to use green tea tannin extract as a natural preservative in replacement of sulfur. First bottled in 2019 in New Zealand, the wine enters the U.S. in major markets beginning in August 2023.

Loveblock TEE Sauvignon Blanc uses green tea tannin extract as a natural antioxidant instead of sulfur, the traditional preservative used in wine. Made using grapes grown on Loveblock’s certified organic Awatere Valley vineyard, the single vineyard Loveblock TEE Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is also vegan-friendly and certified organic by BioGro.

“We believe this is the first wine in New Zealand, if not worldwide, to use green tea tannin extract as a unique alternative to sulfur,” says Erica Crawford, founder of Loveblock. “We are very excited about the prospects of this new way of winemaking – in our opinion, winemaking should be as natural as possible, and many wine drinkers are now exploring the natural and organic wine category more than ever before.”

Green tea (Camellia sinensis) is known for its antioxidant properties, contains tannins, and is a permitted wine additive. Its tannin extracts are added to Loveblock TEE at each stage of the winemaking process when the wine is exposed to oxygen, including harvest, crush, float, racking after fermentation, filtration, and bottling. The use of green tea tannin extract means the wine does not oxidize. Typically, when wine does not contain a preservative, it can assume sherry-like flavors and a dark orange or brown color. Green tea tannin extract protects against this oxidation, allowing Loveblock TEE to remain open in the fridge and retain its fresh, intended flavors for five or more days.

The Loveblock team is already adept at reducing additives in compliance with organic certification rules, such as keeping sulfur below 100ppm in their other labels of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Gris, effectively utilizing 50-60% less than conventional organic wines.

Erica has also kept an eye on innovation in her home country of South Africa, where research has seen some wineries successfully replacing sulfur with rooibos and honeybush tea extracts from native South African bush shrubs. Indeed, the name ‘TEE’ means ‘tea’ in Afrikaans, in a nod to both Erica’s heritage and the ingredients in the wine.

“TEE is the first in what could become a very exciting category for Loveblock and New Zealand wine, which we’re looking forward to continuing to explore,” Erica continues. “Using green tea is really throwing the textbook out of the window, and we will be testing other natural antioxidant preservatives that we hope to introduce to our wine range in time.”

Loveblock’s unique approach results in a sulfite-free wine with lifted aromas of lemon verbena, saffron, orange peel, and ruby red grapefruit, followed by an herbaceous layer with earthy cumin tones. Juicy white peach and citrus flavors complemented by fresh acidity round out the wine with a crisp, lingering minerality on the finish. Loveblock TEE Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022 retails for SRP $31 and will be available in CO, CT, FL, IL, MA, MD/DC, NC, NJ, NY, SC, TX, and WI.

Erica concludes, “Sustainability is at the heart of Loveblock’s wine and farming practice, and in our view, organic and sustainable winegrowing is the way of the future. The use of natural antioxidants to replace sulfur allows Loveblock TEE to better express its Awatere Valley terroir, and is very much in line with our overall ethos.”

About Loveblock Wines

Founded by Erica Crawford alongside husband and winemaker Kim Crawford, Loveblock began in 2013 as a result of Erica’s passion for organics. An unrelenting passion for winemaking and a strong belief in ethical farming are the founding principles behind Loveblock. Erica and Kim Crawford strive to evoke the essence of their terroir to the best of their ability while maintaining their treasured and formidable 85-hectare landscape in Marlborough’s Awatere Valley healthy through organic and sustainable practices. Loveblock makes a collection of earth-loving organic and sustainable wines. For more information, visit www.loveblockwine.com, www.facebook.com/loveblockwines/ and www.instagram.com/loveblockwine/

About Terlato Wines

TERLATO WINES has a portfolio of more than 85 wine and spirit brands from world-class producers in more than a dozen countries and is the leading fine wine marketer in restaurants. For more information, please visit www.terlato.com. A full list of Terlato’s world-class brands can be found here.