Wine from Marlborough - South island

Marlborough is a unique area. Despite the size of its big international reputation it is quite small in area. Grapes are grown mainly in two relatively small east-west oriented valleys - the Wairau Valley and the Awatere Valley. Within both valleys there are sub regions which can differ widely in both climate and soil.
When it comes to viticulture it is the climate and the soil which make Marlborough special. The region is "cool climate". Through the growing and ripening season the days are long. The contours of the coast line tend to swing approaching bad weather away from the wine growing valleys giving Marlborough a reputation for being the sunniest region in New Zealand. Soil types vary from free draining, silty, stony loams to very fine silts which can contain significant amounts of clay. These elements have come together to produce a "wine heaven" on earth.