Presentation delivered by Ronan Sayburn MS and Kevin Judd at the Flavours of New Zealand annual tasting in London. Accompanying audio available on Interpreting Wine podcast:

1. MARLBOROUGH :
DIGGING DEEPER
Ronan Sayburn MS
Mt. Beautiful

2. REGIONS
• Northland
• Auckland
• Gisborne
• Hawke’s Bay
• Wairarapa
• Nelson
• Marlborough
• Canterbury &
North Canterbury
• Waitaki Valley
• Central Otago

3. HECTARES (2017)
PRODUCING VINEYARD AREA

4. 25,224
TOTAL PRODUCING
HECTARES (2017)
313
TOTAL PRODUCTION
(000 TONNES, 2018)
77%
PROPORTION OF TOTAL
NZ PRODUCTION
(TONNES, 2018)
MARLBOROUGH

6. • Frank Yukich of Montana Wines places a silver coin, a token of good
fortune, in a hole in which a vine is to be planted, in 1973. Standing
behind him is Montana chair David Beattie.
• In 1873 David Herd planted Marlborough’s first vineyard, which he
named Auntsfield, on land at Omaka. Wine was produced from the vines
until 1931, when they were removed.
• Ernie and Jane Hunter established Hunter’s Wines in 1979. The vineyard’s
sauvignon blanc won awards at London wine festivals in the mid-1980s.
Ernie died in a car crash in 1987, and Jane took over the company's reins.
• Kevin Judd, winemaker for Cloudy Bay winery since its first vintage in
1985, and gained an international reputation for Cloudy Bay sauvignon
blanc. In 2009 he set up Greywacke winery, also based in Marlborough.

7. Long, cool growing season
Low cloud cover, high sunshine hours
Medium to low amounts of rainfall (643mm)
Canopy training suited to climate
Creates characteristic Methoxypyrazines

8. KEY VARIETIES

9. OUR
REGION
Marlborough
Kei puta te
Wairau –
the place
with the hole
in the cloud
REGIONAL
OVERVIEW

10. OUR
REGION
 Māori translation:
‘Many waters’
 Cool and dry
 A river flood plain -
extremely variable soils,
from stony river wash to
fine, deep alluvium
seams
 Approx. 45% of plantings
Wairau Plain
REGIONAL
OVERVIEW

11. OUR
REGION
 Cooler and drier
 Formed by glacial
outwash – older variable
soils exhibiting stony
gravels with higher levels
of clay and loess- covered
hill slopes
 Approx 25% of plantings
Southern
Valleys
REGIONAL
OVERVIEW

12. OUR
REGION
 Māori translation:
‘Fast flowing river’.
 The driest and coolest
sub region
 River terraces and flood
plains - alluvial gravels
and clay with wind- blown
loess
 Approx 30% of plantings.
Awatere Valley
REGIONAL
OVERVIEW

13. Zephyr Riesling 2018
Marlborough (Wairau Valley)

14. Greywacke Wild Sauvignon Blanc 2016 Marlborough
(Southern Valleys)

15. Staete Landt 'State of Surrender' Viognier 2015
Marlborough (Rapaura)

16. Villa Maria Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Chardonnay 2016
Marlborough (Awatere Valley)

17. Giesen Estate The Brothers Pinot Noir 2015 Marlborough

18. Te Whare Ra SV5182 Syrah 2016
Marlborough (Wairau Valley)