The Marlborough wine region is by far
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
's largest, accounting for three quarters of the
country's wine production, 70% of its vineyard area and 85% of its wine exports.
A
Geographical Indication
A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, ...
in the north-east of the
South Island
The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...
, it covers the entire
Marlborough District and the
Kaikōura District
The Kaikōura District is a territorial authority district in Canterbury Region on the South Island of New Zealand. The district encompasses the eponymous town of Kaikōura, a number of small towns and settlements and the surrounding rural area ...
of the
Canterbury Region
Canterbury ( mi, Waitaha) is a region of New Zealand, located in the central-eastern South Island. The region covers an area of , making it the largest region in the country by area. It is home to a population of
The region in its current f ...
,
but in practice the vineyards are concentrated around the
Blenheim Blenheim ( ) is the English name of Blindheim, a village in Bavaria, Germany, which was the site of the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. Almost all places and other things called Blenheim are named directly or indirectly in honour of the battle.
Places ...
and
Seddon townships. Internationally, Marlborough
Sauvignon Blanc
is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...
is recognised as world class; wine writers such as
Oz Clarke
Robert Owen Clarke (born 1949), known as Oz Clarke, is a British wine writer, actor, television presenter and broadcaster.
Early life
Clarke's parents were a chest physician and a nursing sister. He is of Irish descent and was brought up Roman ...
and
George Taber have described it as the best in the world.
History
Early settlers in Marlborough planted vines as early as the 1870s. A small block of
Brown Muscat was planted in 1873 by David Herd, but in 1931 his son pulled up the last of the vines, and no others were recorded in the region for the next forty years.
Commercial wine-making began in earnest only in 1973 when the first large-scale vineyards were planted by Montana Wines, at the time New Zealand's largest producer (now
Brancott Estate
Brancott Estate is the brand adopted since 2010 by Pernod Ricard for New Zealand's largest wine producer, formerly Montana Wines, which now operates as the New Zealand division of Pernod Ricard Winemakers. The name comes from its Brancott winery ...
, owned by
Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard () is a French company best known for its anise-flavoured pastis apéritifs Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis (often referred to simply as ''Pernod'' or '' Ricard''). The world’s second-largest wine and spirits seller, it also pro ...
).
Meanwhile in 1975 Daniel Le Brun, a
Champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...
maker, emigrated to New Zealand to begin producing ''
méthode traditionelle'' in Marlborough.
Wineries in the Marlborough region were producing outstanding Sauvignon Blanc by the early 1980s, and in 1985 the Sauvignon Blanc from
Cloudy Bay Vineyards
Cloudy Bay Vineyards is a winery based in the Marlborough wine region of New Zealand, with vineyards in both Marlborough and Central Otago. Established in 1985 as one of the earliest wineries founded in Marlborough, Cloudy Bay attracted internatio ...
finally garnered international attention and critical acclaim for New Zealand wine.
Wine writer
George Taber recounted in 2006 that Cloudy Bay is "what many people consider to be the world's best Sauvignon Blanc" and
Oz Clarke
Robert Owen Clarke (born 1949), known as Oz Clarke, is a British wine writer, actor, television presenter and broadcaster.
Early life
Clarke's parents were a chest physician and a nursing sister. He is of Irish descent and was brought up Roman ...
wrote that New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is "arguably the best in the world."
The suitability of the region and later success of Daniel Le Brun's sparkling wines were also sufficient to attract significant investment from
Champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...
producers.
New Zealand's plantings of Sauvignon Blanc experienced enormous growth in the 21st century, driven almost exclusively by investment in the Marlborough region.
Vineyard area of the grape expanded from in 2003 to in 2018, a five-fold increase in just 15 years.
Climate and geography
The soils in the
Wairau Valley
Wairau Valley is the valley of the Wairau River in Marlborough, New Zealand and also the name of the main settlement in the upper valley. State Highway 63 runs through the valley. The valley opens onto the Wairau Plain, where Renwick and Blen ...
and the wine-growing districts surrounding
Blenheim Blenheim ( ) is the English name of Blindheim, a village in Bavaria, Germany, which was the site of the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. Almost all places and other things called Blenheim are named directly or indirectly in honour of the battle.
Places ...
are primarily free-draining alluvial gravels. The valley is situated between the Richmond Ranges to the north and the Wither Hills to the south, which protect it from extreme weather conditions. These two factors make the valley ideal for viticulture. The climate is usually sunny and warm in summer and autumn, resulting in a long growing season, and the cool night-time sea breezes provide the temperature variation required for good characterful wines.
It can also be very dry, and younger vines often require some degree of
irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been devel ...
.
Extensive planting has been undertaken on the river terraces and flood plains on the valley floor, although some wineries are using organic practices to also dry-farm vines on north-facing hill slopes.
Sub-regions
Although the Marlborough GI extends to the entire Marlborough and Kaikoura district boundaries, vineyards are broadly concentrated into three sub-regions.
Wairau Valley
The Wairau Valley is the flood plain and valley floor of the
Wairau River
The Wairau River is one of the longest rivers in New Zealand's South Island. It flows for from the Spenser Mountains (a northern range of the Southern Alps), firstly in a northwards direction and then northeast down a long, straight valley in ...
, around the town of
Blenheim Blenheim ( ) is the English name of Blindheim, a village in Bavaria, Germany, which was the site of the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. Almost all places and other things called Blenheim are named directly or indirectly in honour of the battle.
Places ...
, with deep alluvial gravel soils and river terraces.
Southern Valleys
The Southern Valleys are the north-south tributary valleys on the southern slope of the Wairau Valley. These valleys climb south into the Wither Hills, and form ideal, north-facing slopes with largely glacial
loess
Loess (, ; from german: Löss ) is a clastic, predominantly silt-sized sediment that is formed by the accumulation of wind-blown dust. Ten percent of Earth's land area is covered by loess or similar deposits.
Loess is a periglacial or aeoli ...
soils.
Awatere Valley
Awatere Valley is further to the south-east and south of the Wither Hills. The most recent sub-region to be substantially developed, it accounts for about a third of the total Marlborough growing area. Vineyards are concentrated in the alluvial valley floor of the
Awatere River
The Awatere River is a large river flowing through Marlborough, New Zealand. Flowing along the trace of the active Awatere Fault, it runs northeast through a straight valley to the west of the Inland Kaikoura mountains. This valley is paralle ...
, centred around the town of
Seddon. Vineyards are also planted further up the narrowing river valley floor to the southwest, and further south following
State Highway 1 through to the township of
Ward
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
. This sub-region is protected from winds by both the Wither Hills and the mountains of the
Inland Kaikōura Range to the south, with a generally cooler climate.
Winemaking and regulations
Marlborough was established in 2018 as a New Zealand geographical indication (GI) under new legislation.
In the same year, several Marlborough wineries formed an incorporated society ''Appellation Marlborough Wine'' to administer a global label trademark and a certification process to further protect the integrity and quality standards of Marlborough wines.
To qualify, wines must be made entirely from sustainably grown grapes from Marlborough, comply with cropping rates set annually, and be bottled in New Zealand.
Marlborough also hosts significant production of ''
méthode traditionelle'' sparkling wine made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, sufficient to attract investment from large Champagne producers
Mumm
G. H. Mumm & Cie is a Champagne house founded in 1827 and based in Reims, France. G.H. Mumm is one of the largest Champagne houses and is currently ranked 4th globally based on number of bottles sold. The company is owned by Pernod Ricard.
G ...
,
Deutz,
Moët & Chandon (which now owns Cloudy Bay) and
Veuve Clicquot
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin () is a Champagne house founded in 1772 and based in Reims. It is one of the largest Champagne houses. Madame Clicquot is credited with major breakthroughs, creating the first known vintage champagne in 1810, and i ...
.
In 2013 several Marlborough producers established ''Méthode Marlborough'', a collaborative organisation to set quality standards and promote the brand both domestically and internationally. Methodé Marlborough wines must be produced entirely in Marlborough using the traditional method of production from only Marlborough-grown Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, and aged on lees for a minimum of 18 months.
References
External links
Wine Marlboroughofficial site
{{Wine regions of New Zealand
Wine regions of New Zealand
Marlborough Region