5 Things You Should Know About New Zealand's Marlborough Wine Region

If you're just getting started on this great big world of wine, you might need to do a double take on today's topic. No, we're not talking about the cigarette brand, but rather New Zealand's most important wine region responsible for outputting a good amount of high quality Sauvignon Blanc. It is thanks to Marlborough that the small island nation could punch well above its weight in the global wine market 

Let's get started!

1. Where in New Zealand?  

Nestled at the northeastern tip of New Zealand's South Island, Marlborough isn't your average wine region. It's not so much a single area where grapes are grown willy-nilly, but rather an area where three wine-growing regions subsist. Namely, the Wairau Valley, Southern Valleys and the Awatere Valley.

The long, straight and glacial Wairau Valley is home to around 45 per cent of Marlborough's vineyards. It is home to the region's main center, Blenheim. It has a warm, sunny climate that receives more maritime winds from the Pacific Ocean.

It buffets the Southern Valleys, which account for another quarter of the region's winemaking. Its topography just edges the lower hillsides of the Wither Hill range. Last on the list is the Awatere Valley lies which lies further to the southeast and parallels the other two. It has the coolest climate due to its oceanic proximity on both northern and eastern sides.

2. Marlborough is New Zealand's largest wine-growing region.

Marlborough accounts for three quarters of the New Zealand's wine production, 70% of New Zealand's total vineyard area and 85% of its wine exports. There are more than 30 cellar doors, and over 140 wineries, including the famous Cloudy Bay Vineyards and its Sauvignon Blanc. 

The 3 notable subregions of Marlborough are the Wairau Valley, the Awatere Valley and the Southern Valleys.

3. A brief history of Marlborough's success 

(Source: Indevin Vineyards)

Marlborough's journey as a world-renowned wine region is relatively recent, but in a rather indirect way. While the first vineyards were planted in the 1870s, it wasn't until the 1970s when the Auckland-based wine producer Montana (now Brancott Estate) bought its first land there.

The first large-scale vineyards were planted in 1973 and Marlborough wines were already making a name for themselves by the early 1980s. During this period, the region's potential was recognised, and with it, a wave of vineyard plantings began. Yet experts became concerned about the proliferation of low quality Marlborough wines in the 1980s due to overplanting. 

In 1986, the New Zealand Government initiated a series of schemes to elevate the reputation of Marlborough wines. The first is known as a "grubbing up" scheme – farmers were provided cash incentives to cull poor quality vineyards. At the same time, trade barriers were removed so that affordable high quality wines from Australia could fill the domestic New Zealand wine market. 

This increased competition forced gave Zealand wine producers a simple choice: either quit making mediocre wines, or if they wanted to remain in the market, make really, really good world-class wines that could compete in the international market. The following decades witnessed rapid growth and development, solidifying Marlborough's reputation for producing fresh, vibrant, and world-class wines.

The focus on Sauvignon Blanc, which would become Marlborough's signature, was evident from the start. This strategic decision, combined with the region's unique climate and soils, propelled Marlborough onto the global wine stage.

4. Each valley has a different terroir, contributing to Marlborough's wine variety.

It is without doubt that Marlborough's diverse terroir contributes significantly to the range of styles within its wines.

The Wairau Valley, the region's heartland, has more early-ripening sites with soil types that range from stony river wash to deep clay deposits, while the Awatere Valley is the driest of the regions, with soils that are more alluvial gravels and wind-blown loess (a fine sediment formed by wind-blown dust). Fuller-bodied Sauvignon Blancs with pronounced tropical fruit notes are produced in the warmer Wairau Valley. In contrast, wines which are more restrained and with higher acidity are produced in the cooler Awatere Valley.

The Southern Valleys, with its unique combination of soils and microclimates, produces Sauvignon Blancs with a broader flavor profile, often showcasing more complex notes such as earthy spice, alongside the classic Marlborough characteristics.

5. The region sure loves its Sauvignon Blanc.

The classic Marlborough wine style is typified by Sauvignon Blanc wines with vibrant flavors of gooseberry, passionfruit, citrus and sometimes intense green peppers. Depending on the region, these notes are often accompanied by different degrees of herbaceousness known as "cat's pee" or "gun flint".

And yep, Marlborough is known as one of the Sauvignon Blanc heavyweights in the winegrowing world. There really aren't other places with names as synonymous with the grape variety. Some even go so far as to suggest that Marlborough is the grape variety's New World home; while Mendoza in Argentina has its Malbec, Marlborough has its Sauvignon Blanc. In fact, Sauvignon Blanc plantings account for over 80 per cent of vineyard surface area in Marlborough, and more than 85 per cent of regional production. 

The grape was so popular, that the total area nurturing the grape expanded from 4,516 hectares (11,160 acres) in 2003 to 23,102 hectares (57,090 acres) by 2018.

This is not to say the region is monolithic in its varietals. Beyond Sauvignon Blanc, many other white wine grapes are popular including Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Riesling. 

Marlborough is also gaining recognition in recent years for its reds, particularly Pinot Noir, which vines have recently come of age. Contrasted with traditional Pinot Noir from Burgundy, the region offers a more refreshing light and fruity style, with mild spices and very smooth tannins.

Bottom Line

Marlborough's wines have been instrumental in putting New Zealand on the international wine stage. And despite the island nation's relative size, its robust and complex Sauvignon Blancs - especially bottles from Cloudy Bay - are widely considered as some of the best in the world. Marlborough's varied climate and soils has also given wine lovers plenty more to explore from down under, whether it's the luscious Pinot Gris, excellently structured Chardonnay or elegant Pinot Noir. 

 

Lok Bing Hong A budding journalist that loves experiencing new things and telling people's stories. I have 30 seconds of coherence a day. I do not decide when they come. They are not consecutive.