Nelson and Marlborough

Nelson is amongst the coutries smaller wine regions. Wineries are picturesque and many offer the chance to taste wines the way they should be with fresh local cuisine.

Nelson vineyards concentrate on grape varieties suited to cooler conditions, with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Noir accounting for most of the grapes grown.

Marlborough is New Zealand's largest wine growing region. It has an enviable international reputation for producing the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world.

It also makes very good Chardonnay and Riesling and is fast developing a reputation for high quality Pinot Noir. Of the region's ten thousand hectares of grapes (almost half the national crop) one third are planted in Sauvignon Blanc.

Lots of sun, cool nights, low autumn rains and free draining alluvial soils combine to make Marlborough one of the world's great wine producing regions. Most wineries can be reached after an easy drive from Blenheim, although the radius of land under cultivation is rapidly spreading.