Marlborough is the heart of viticulture in New Zealand - even though vines were not planted here at all until the early 1970s. At that time, by the way, it was primarily Müller-Thurgau, which turned out to be a mistake. Today, Marlborough, named after an English general, is a superlative wine region. Nearly 23,000 hectares are under vines, or almost 70 percent of New Zealand's total vineyard area. Over 17,000 hectares of this are planted with New Zealand's flagship grape, Sauvignon Blanc, which accounts for almost 90 percent of the total stock of this variety in the North and South Islands combined. Marlborough's star rose meteorically when a wine caused a sensation in Europe at the end of the 1980s, the "Cloudy Bay". A Sauvignon Blanc of such enormous expressiveness, it had not existed in Europe until then. "Cloudy Bay" has simply remained one of New Zealand's icon wines to this day and enjoys cult status. After this initial spark, a good 150 wineries have settled here, and producers from other places also make wine here. Although it also rains frequently on the South Island, Marlborough is relatively dry. The nearby mountain range keeps the low-hanging clouds away from the vineyards, so irrigation is necessary and common in many vineyards. The soil consists of boulders washed up from the mountains, but in many places it also consists of calcareous marine deposits. These different soil structures provide the best terroir not only for Sauvignon Blanc but also for varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. The calling card is still the immensely fruity, very exotic and tropical-smelling Sauvignon Blanc.
