Marlborough

Activities: Wine Trail

Saint Clair Wines
Saint Clair’s first wines were only produced in 1994, but their reputation as one of New Zealand’s leading wine companies with an exceptional quality record is growing fast. Saint Clair Cellar Door & Café is situated on the corner of Rapaura & Selmes Road about ten minutes from the centre of Blenheim. A selection of Saint Clair wines are available for tasting each day and a selection of limited release wines, are available for purchase.
Wine Tourism New Zealand
If you are looking for wineries, wine tours, winery restaurant or accommodation throughout New Zealand visit the Wine Tourism Network.
Herzog Winery & Restaurant
Herzog wines are made very much in the old world style with minimal intervention, and as such are fast becoming some of the most talked about wines on the international scene. Famous luxury gourmet restaurant (open May to October). Cellar door is open for tasting year round. Vineyard Accommodation in private cottage retreat also available.

A history of Marlborough Wineries

Marlborough's emergence as one of the finest wine-growing regions in the world began almost by chance.

In the early 1970's, Montana Wines of Auckland took very deliberate steps to find more land on which to expand their North Island grape-growing and wine-making operation. Their first choice, Canterbury, was deemed to be uneconomic, so they turned their attention to Marlborough. The region's soil types, abundant sunshine, long autumn and crisp, cool winters proved to be the ingredients needed to produce world class wines.

To begin with, Marlborough grapes were trucked north to Montana's Gisborne winery for processing. Then in 1977 the company built the first stage of its now expansive Riverlands winery. An Irishman, the late Ernie Hunter, who in 1979 founded Hunter's Wines, is credited with introducing the region to the international wine markets. Realizing that those early Marlborough vintages were producing wines of world class quality, Ernie set about vigorously promoting the wines in Europe, and paving the way for the now healthy export market.

The first of the region's cluster of boutique wineries was also established in those formative years. Te Whare Ra Winery has since gone on to make its mark as a producer of fine botrytis wines.

These pioneers of the modern Marlborough wine region were not alone in their thinking.

Some 100 years earlier, pioneers David Herd and Charles Empson established a vineyard and winery in the southern foothills, and from it produced "a grape wine of a high reputation." Several other modest wine-making operations were also part of the region's early history.

Heralded by the success of Montana's move to Marlborough, several other major New Zealand wine companies soon followed. Some have established their own vineyards and wineries here, others source Marlborough grapes for processing at their home wineries.

International wine companies were also quick to realize the potential of this wine region, with Swiss, French, and Australian interests now an integral part of the Marlborough scene. Among these was Cape Mentelle of Australia, whose Marlborough label Cloudy Bay quickly reached cult status on the European market.

Marlborough is now the largest wine growing region in New Zealand. Currently there are more than 3000 hectares of vineyards. Predominant varieties grown are sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, riesling, pinot noir, pinot gris, cabernet sauvignon, and merlot.

The original grape plantings were on the southern fringes of the plain, but have since spread across the landscape onto the river flats of the Rapaura district, west to the Waihopai and lower Wairau and further south into the Awatere Valley.

From these plantings has come a string of national and international awards, vindicating the region's excellence in producing both still and sparkling wines. The jewel in the Marlborough crown is undoubtedly its sauvignon blanc wines, critically acclaimed as among the best in the world.

Those same climatic and soil qualities that ensure the success of the region's wines, also help to produce fine fruits and vegetables, seafoods, meats, and dairy products which have collectively earned Marlborough the title "Gourmet Province of New Zealand."

The annual Wine Marlborough festival (second Saturday in February each year) is now an established show-case for the region's bounty and draws people from all over the world to taste and see for themselves the excellence that is Marlborough.

For information on wineries, wine tours, and accommodation in other wine regions in New Zealand visit The Wine Tourism Network.