Marlborough, New Zealand
The Marlborough region on the South Island is home to over 68.700 acres(27,800ha) of vineyards, accounting for roughly two-thirds of New Zealand's vines and grape production. The region is heavily planted to Sauvignon Blanc and has in many ways shaped the explosive growth in the New Zealand wine industry. Pinot Noir is the second most widely planted grape, and despite growth in other regions, Marlborough is still the the largest producer of Pinot Noir is the country! Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, & Gewurtztraminer, and even Viognier are grown here as well. Production of high-quality traditional method sparkling wines, sometimes marketed under the Methode Marlborough brand, is small, but critically renowned!
Cloudy Bay, one of the most famous producers in all of New Zealand, but particularly in Marlborough, lent their name to the now famous ground breaking producer of Sauvignon Blanc and Clifford Bay are both situated along the coast of Marlborough. The Marlborough region can be considered to have three seperate areas from the Wairau Valley in the north, Awatere Valley in the south, and the Southern Valleys inside:
Wairau Valley: The Wairau Valley is one of NZ's sunniest places. The region is known for stony, alluvial soils and a cool climate that tends to be come drier as one heads more inland.
Awatere Valley: The Awatere Valley is located to the south of the Wairau Valley, stretching inland from the coast into the Kaikoura Ranges. This is one of the coolest, driest, and windiest areas of Marlborough and many of the vineyards have some elevation to them!
The Southern Valleys: Located inland, the vineyards of the Southern Valleys, consisting of the Omaka, Fairhall, Brancott, Ben Morvan and Waihopai Valleys, wind and wrap around the surrounding hills. The area has great diversity in terms of mesoclimates and soils, but it does tend to heavier, more clay-based soils than the areas of closer to the coast.
AMW(Appellation Marlborough Wine)
This is a brand new system established by Marlborough in hopes to refocus its image on quality over quantity. To read more about it here, please click this here!
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