Marlborough

Marlborough is a wine region (with an appellation pending under the recently introduced New Zealand Geographical Indications system) in the northeast of South Island, New Zealand. The meteoric rise of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc over the last two decades has propelled the wines of New Zealand-and Marlborough in particular-onto the world stage. Representing nearly 80% of New Zealand's total wine production, with 23,000 hectares now under vine (primarily located in the Wairau Valley), Marlborough isn't just about Sauvignon Blanc though, with superb examples of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling now being grown on the free-draining shingle and sand soils of this world famous region. Subregionality is now a focus of the region, with terroirs such as Awatere Valley, Omaka and the southern side valleys of Hawkesbury, Waihopai and Fairhall showing the nuance of site selection in the glass.