Sunday, April 21, 2013

Wine Region Report - Marlborough

Wine Region Report - Marlborough




Marlborough is one of the ten major wine regions in New Zealand. Home to more than 100 wineries supplied by 300+ local growers, Marlborough is known for its Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir wines. In fact, 90% of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc comes from Marlborough. One-third of the region’s 10,000 hectares of grapes are dedicated to Sauvignon Blanc. 




More than 50% of New Zealand’s vineyards are located in Marlborough (22, 587 hectares). Marlborough is also an important New Zealand producer of sparking lines. Marlborough’s Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes are made into quality, dry sparkling wines using the methode traditionelle.
 


Marlborough is located on the South Island of New Zealand. Situated on the eastern cost of this island, Marlborough is coupled by mountains to the west. This area is one of New Zealand’s sunniest and dried in terms of its climate. The average temperature at the summer comes in around 24 degrees Celsius. In these bright, but still relatively cool conditions, grapes from Marlborough go through a long, slow ripening period. Also, the cooler evenings and nights help keep acid levels high in the grapes. This diurnal temperature variation is a shift of roughly 11 degrees, allowing the grapes to retain their high levels of fruit acids during the night. 




Accordingly, the climate of this region is a key factor behind the ability of the grapes to retain fresh, vibrant, and crisp characteristics. Overall, this region can be characterized by relatively dry, arid weather conditions with high sunshine hours.



In terms of soil, viticulture has primarily been developed on sites with moderate to low fertility. The soils themselves are noticeably stony; primarily sandy loam top soils overlying layers of free-draining shingle. This soil profile is typically found in the areas of the Wairau and Awatere Valleys. Because of the soil’s ability to drain fast, these low fertility soils help to produce grape with lush, aromatic flavor profiles.


Historically, winemaking and commercial wine activity in Marlborough goes back as far as the 1870s. What has become known as the “modern era” of winemaking in Marlborough began in the 1970s. Essentially, Marlborough has gone from being an unknown region to New Zealand’s largest wine region in less than 40 years. 







In general, over the last 20 years, wines and vineyards from New Zealand have grown immensely. The pungency and fruit flavors of Marlborough wines, in particular the Sauvignon Blanc, caught attention world-wide and increased demand sparked vineyard development, which reached its zenith in the mid 2000s. 



The first of Marlborough’s modern vineyards was planed in 1973 in the Southern Valleys. The Southern Valleys were created by a glacial outwash and contain soils with significant amounts of silt and gravel. Soils of the Southern Valleys also contain higher levels of clay than New Zealand’s other sub regions. Because of its location, this sub-region is more prone to cooler air. Additionally, this area has suffered from droughts during its developmental stage. The last big drought occurred in 1990, during which time people had to hand water vines. The major grape varieties planted in this sub-region include Pinor Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay. White wines from this valley tend to be citrusy and express grapefruit flavor profiles. Pinor Noirs especially tend to express rich aromas of red fruits.


Another second modern vineyard area suitable for wine production in New Zealand is the Wairau Valley. This valley is a large tract of flat land bordering the Wairau River and Wairau Flat line. This valley covers a total area of 20,000 hectares. In terms of its soil, it is actually difficult to describe the soil profile of this sub-region. In a single small vineyard, there can be more than one dozen different soil profiles, ranging from stony gravel to silt, loam, and clay. These soils also range in terms of being highly fertile to extremely poor. This region also experiences significant amounts of rainfall. Due to this rainfall, coupled with the location of the vineyards above a massive aquifer, growers experiences relatively few to no water issues in this sub-region. Climate-wise, this sub-region tends to be warmer than other New Zealand sub-regions. Also, this sub-region is generally one of the first to be harvested in the fall. The major grape varieties planted in the Wairau Valley are Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. Additionally, growers in this region have begun experimenting with Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Gewurztraminer. Wines from this region are typically more fruit forward, with tropical fruit flavors such as passion fruit.


Additionally, a third modern vineyard area of New Zealand is in the Awatere Valley. In 1985, the first vineyard was planted in this valley by Wavasour Wines, which is located south of Blenheim, and separated from the Wairau Valley by the Wither Hills. This valley is a major New Zealand player in terms of plantings and wine fruit profiles. Wines from the Awatere Valley tend to be crisp, less tropical fruity, and more often described as herbaceous, minerally, and flinty. This region is typically cooler than the other sub-regions, as well as windier and drier. The soil profile is a mixture of alluvial gravel and wind borne loess with diverse stone materials.



As an emerging “New World” wine country, New Zealand (and accordingly Marlborough) is under wine regulations much different than those imposed upon Old World counterparts. New Zealand’s wine regulations are controlled by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority. This governing body stipulates that if a wine label carries the name of a place (such as a sub-region like Marlborough), 75% of the grapes used in the production of that bottle of wine must be from that area. Also, if two grapes are named on the wine label, the grapes must be stated in order of importance. The dominant percentage grape in the wine must be listed first. Also, any wine exported to the European Union or the United States falls under a different set of rules. For these wines, the wine label indicating the grape variety must also reflect a wine made from at least 85% of that grape variety.


In continuing with the theme of exports, New Zealand’s largest winemaker, Montana, actually goes under an alias when sold in the United States. To Americans, these wines are under the name Brancott Estate. This is done to avoid confusion with the United States state of Montana. Brancott is the name of Montana’s visitor center and a restaurant in Marlborough.




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