Wines from the New World: Marlborough, New Zealand

Wines from the New World tend to be growing outside of traditional European regions and stray away from the traditions of the Old World. That being said; Marlborough, New Zealand is one of the regions in which New World wines are produced and is is also the most well-known wine-growing region in New Zealand. In fact, 77% of New Zealand’s total wine production comes directly from the Marlborough region. In 2014, there were 168 wineries and 568 growers in the Marlborough region alone.
Of the wines produced, Marlborough is known for it’s “ intensely fruity and vibrant” dry white wines but also produces some reds like Pinot Noir (Cannavan). Sauvignon Blanc is the leading variety coming in at 86% of total wine production. Marlborough’s varietal production is as follows: Pinot noir at 6%, Chardonnay at 3.5%, 3% at Pinot Gris and just under 1% of all wines produced are Riesling.
Marlborough is seen as one of the world’s premium wine regions of the world. Despite its size, it draws international attention because of its geographically diverse region that offers a variety of different wine styles. Located along the Northeastern coast of New Zealand’s South Island, Marlborough has a maritime climate which means that the sea has a huge influence on the countries vineyards. Days are typically warm and sunny whilst nights are cooler due to the sea breezes. According to “Wine Marlborough,” there are about 2,457 annual sunshine hours on average and 25.5mm of annual rainfall.
Moderate temperatures and exposure to plenty of sunlight are the reasons that Marlborough wines are high in acid because of long ripening times. Since the region is located in the eastern coastal part of the island, vineyards are met with cooling sea breezes and are protected from intense wind and rain by the surrounding mountains.
Marlborough has different subregions that also varies in climates. The Wairu Valley is Cool but tends to be dry. The Maori people, people of New Zealand, refer to the Wairu Valley as “The place with the hole in the cloud” because of the protection given to the area by the topography. The Southern Valleys are cooler and drier, while the Awatere Valley is the coolest and driest of the three subregions.
Much of Marlborough’s success came from its deep free-draining stony soils. The extensive braided river system, which means that a river is composed of a network of different channels that are separated by small deposits, left a threaded legacy of stony sandy loam over very deep gravels (NZwine.com). This means that Clay is very common in the southern valleys which helps into assisting Pinot Noir.

Of the various producers in Marlbourough, the top 3 are Herzog, Highfield Estate and Hunter’s Wines. On the Herzog Estate, they grow Pinot Grigio, pinot noir, montepulciano, and merlot-carbernet which is known as, “The Spirit of Marlborough.” The Herzog’s have roots in Switzerland where the family has grown wine since 1630 until they made the move to Marlborough in the 1990s. Highfield Estate wines specializes in sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, chardonnay, and rieslings; however, their best is a sparkling Elstree Cuvee Brut. Hunter’s wines range from an oak-aged sauvignon blanc, also known as fume blanc, pinot noir, gewurztraminer, and mirumiru; which is a sparkling blend of pinot noir, chardonnay, and pinot meunier. The first vineyard was planted in 1873 by Scottish Farmer, David Herd. However, it wasn’t until 100 years later in 1973 that viticulture began to develop on a commercial scale. The grapes that Herd planted were a mutation of Muscat Petite Grain called Brown Muscat. Frank Yukich; Founder of New Zealand’s largest wine company, Montana Wines; and Wayne Thomas set out on a journey to produce wines for export instead of wines in bulk. With some research, they found that Marlborough was the best place to grow grapes because of maximum sunshine, minimum rainfall, free draining soil, and freedom from seasonal frosts. Marlborough has come across many technological advancements over the years. In 2003, the Marlborough Wine Research Centre was developed and has been working to improve the development of the wine industry throughout the years. They’re currently leading research into the region’s sauvignon blanc grape, why its so unique to that area and how to keep its reputation as an international wine. Of which VinWizard has been developed. Vinwizard is a remote control system that controls the temperature of wine tanks automatically. Some benefits of the Vinwizard include being able to control fermentation, saves time by managing vats remotely and brings energy consumption down by 50%. The nature of this technology has proven to be eco-friendly by helping winemakers reduce their carbon footprint. Marlborough, New Zealand produces a booming part of New World Wines. From the area’s ideal climate that produces some of the world’s best sauvignon blanc that is very distinctive of that region; to the innovations that are in development as we speak. Marlborough has grown into a successful region that doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.

Works Cited
Cannavan, Tom. "New Zealand." Wine-Pages. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Dec. 2014. <http://www.wine-pages.com/resources/nzexp.htm>.
"Innovation Drives NZ Wine Industry." Tourism New Zealand Media. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2015. <http://media.newzealand.com/en/story-ideas/innovation-drives-nz-wine-industry/>.
"Marlborough • NZ Wine." Marlborough • NZ Wine. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Dec. 2014. <http://www.nzwine.com/regions/marlborough/>.
"Marlborough's Wine History." Wine Marlborough: New Zealand. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Dec. 2014. <http://www.wine-marlborough.co.nz/about-marlborough/marlboroughs-wine-history/>.
"New Zealand Wine Trips: 15 Top Wineries in the Best Regions." New Zealand Wine Trips: 15 Top Wineries in the Best Regions. N.p., 31 Mar. 2010. Web. 30 Dec. 2014. <http://www.fodors.com/news/story_3939.html>. | | | | | | | | | | | |