Marlborough Wine
This brand is the identity for our wine industry – the Marlborough wine industry.
It is something that growers and makers can own and use to help promote their offering. A way to have a larger voice and footprint as a collective group of brands that share this one commonality – the true Marlborough wine brand.
A brand’s mission, vision and values work together to build a solid foundation. They’re deeply intertwined and serve as a compass with your vision and mission as the guiding rationale, below, we walk you through these elements that have helped shape the brand guidelines and assets we make available to you in the link below.
Scroll down to the form below or click here to request access to our brand toolkit.
These guidelines have been created by Wine Marlborough Ltd for the Marlborough Wine industry. Wine Marlborough Ltd is the trading name of the Marlborough Winegrowers Association, representing the Marlborough wine region. This toolkit has been developed to ensure the Marlborough Wine brand assets are used with consistency and confidence. By accessing these assets we are trusting you to use them appropriately, following our brand guidelines, to present a strong and aligned message. Wine Marlborough reserves the right to withdraw use permission at any time. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns relating to the use of the Marlborough Wine brand.
SHARED MISSION
With energy we cultivate, connect and aspire to elevate the quality and reputation of Marlborough’s premium wine industry, its people and its place.
SHARED VISION
Forever earn our place in the hearts of our people, through our shared commitment to excellence, our care for our place and its people, our drive to be experiential and do better, and our respect for the stories that make us who we are.
OUR SHARED VALUES
Our values are our behavioural guidance in pursuing our mission and vision.
These are the principles and beliefs that provide a cohesive vision and define who we are – our purpose and direction – they set the tone for all brand interactions.
Embrace INNOVATION
We know innovation is found in the spaces between the people that came before us and the people yet to come, uncertainty and clarity, relaxation and sophistication, premium and value, surprise and reliability…and we thrive here, in our embrace of who we really are. Nothing stands still, we are transient in our discovery and centered in our place. We aren’t afraid to lead the way.
Share in CONNECTIVITY
The nuances and relationships between our people and place bring our brand to life. We acknowledge all perspectives, but have clarity on our shared values that define who we are and what we stand for. We act with courage, welcome new ideas, challenge the status quo and hero our diversity, in our people, in our wine and in our place. We lift one another up by building connected communities that offer genuine support and not shying away from difficult conversations that help us thrive.
Share EXCELLENCE
We believe in living up to the true value in our name. We have a history and reputation for quality underpinning who we are and what we do. Every action strives to live up to, if not raise, those standards. Quality is connected to everything we touch. We share this quality with the world.
Enveloped in ENERGY
We show up with a drive and a sense of energy pushing us forward, allowing us to innovate and sustain our place and people – we are excited for the future and for our pioneering start and where we are today. It is energy that drives us. We are present, active, full of life and invested in our communities, for innovation, for quality and for our place – Marlborough.
Be EXPERIENTIAL
We believe that the dedication, energy and movement of the industry is grounded in provenance – it is palpable. With one sip, people can tell a variety of wine is from Marlborough because there is something special and unique about the place we call home and it is tangible in our wine.
OUR PERSONALITY
Marlborough wine is dynamic, gregarious, lively, approachable, and aspirational - but we are not overbearing.
We are sophisticated, contemporary and fresh with a vivacious magnetism to us. We exude a casual yet energetic elegance. We are confident and intelligent, but not overconfident, nor do we show off.
We know who we are and why we are here - and we want to share our love of wine, food and place with our people - next door and across the world.
We evoke excitement and innovate - we are not bound by tradition, yet it grounds us. We are young at heart but wise beyond our years. We have stories to tell and people want to listen to them, they are stories that will flow through generations and evolve.
We are generous with our time and our spirit and build lasting relationships. People want to ‘meet’ us over and again. And they will because we are progressive pioneers and it is this that allows our stories to keep being created - to transcend time, evolve and grow and be shared for generations and centuries to come.
How we talk – Our tone of voice
With this brand there is a feeling of balance – a harmony between contradictions / multiple truths. Of scale and artisanal production, where clarity and complexity collide. Where sophistication meets a relaxed essence, local meets global, where energy and life meet fresh clarity, where fun meets tranquility and sustainability meets growth.
We have diverse audiences that will see messages sway to meet the information needs of consumers and businesses. While these complexities in brand are in play, our tone of voice remains constant.
We are authentically sincere. While we are proud of our industry, we are matter of
fact and tell our story without embellishment. We own the truth and are authentic in our messaging.
We are proud of our place, people and our wine. We know our worth and want others to feel proud of what we have achieved too, because they have been part of our success and been on the journey with us. We are proud without being arrogant. There is a warm, down-to-earth vibe to us. We are sincere but not reserved in our communication.
We are warm and not too serious. There is life in our brand. An energy. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, but are genuine in our communication. We don’t play down the expertise and skill of our craftspeople, but describe it in a way accessible to everyone.
We are considered. We get to the point and allow brand photography to do the talking. Copy complements and enhances rather than doubling up on the effect of visuals.
Our communication is informed and mindful of the recipient’s information needs. Believability builds trust and trust builds ambassadorship and loyalty. Technical detail isn’t needed to share our brand essence, but we use it to meet the needs of some audiences.
We are mindful and respectful. We are connected with one another and respect our individual journeys. We don’t shy away from difficult conversations - we are considerate and accepting of the multiple truths in our industry.
OUR STORY
Guided by our values and personality – the essence of who we are as Marlborough Wine – we as an industry share our message through our collective voices, through our many brands and their touch points, to build a cohesive narrative across all audiences of the Marlborough Wine brand.
Marlborough wine is the perfect fusion of people, place, passion, and perseverance. As the region that first put New Zealand wine on the world map, we continue to define the pulse of wine in Aotearoa. We are fearless and forward-looking. We have earned our place in people’s hearts, and will continue to do so for generations to come.
Marlborough wine is where complexity and clarity collide, where boundaries are pushed, and senses come alight. Where commitment to mastery is alive and artisanal practice is perfected over and again.
We challenge the world to keep pace and meet us in our vision for Marlborough’s – and New Zealand’s – wine.
We love our Sauvignon Blanc and so does the world. Its premium purity and flavour intensity has rightly earned its place on the world stage – the respect and care of our producers have kept it there. But we are more than this. We are passionate innovators who seek to challenge ourselves and the expectations of what wine should be. We are not bound by tradition, yet the roots of our pioneers and the ones that came before us ground us, and we strive to honour the past whilst looking to the future.
Lit by kei Puta Te Wairau, we are cradled by protective mountain ranges and the fresh coastal breezes of the Pacific Ocean. We respect our duty to guard our place, just as our place guards us.
Our people are the beating heart of our wine – the wine that defines New Zealand. From the Southern Valleys through to Wairau Valley and onto the Awatere Valley and Southern Marlborough, our diversity is epitomised by the many craftspeople who capture wines that are impossible to imitate, hard not to love and filled with passion and provenance.
Marlborough Wine is wine you know and love that continues to refresh and excite you. The sense of place in each bottle is palpable, full surprise and delight. A Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is a sophisticated wine that cannot be replicated. Its premium purity and flavour intensity has rightly earned its place on the world stage – the respect and care of our producers have kept it there. It is the anchor from which we curl exploratory tendrils of other varieties – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling – and show our range. It is the wine we can always lean on.
We are free and thankful for our young land - it allows us to evolve and diversify without losing the true reflection of place expressed by our wines.
MESSAGING PILLARS
Below are the pillars which flow from our brand story - they are what ground us, provide meaning to our beliefs, our ways of life, our purpose.
01 Home
Marlborough is where our feet are firmly planted like the roots of our industry, where we feel empowered to dream and innovate, where we feel connected to the generations that came before us, to the land and our responsibility to care for her, to our community. This is our foundation, our place in the world, our home.
There is history in the places where our vines stand. From the glacial imprints to the pioneering spirit of those that came before - the previous guardians for the land and the generations that gave so much of themselves to grow the industry and our region to what it is today.
We are connected to those who came before us. Those that shared with the world a piece of us, something they can love – our crisp, pure and fresh Sauvignon Blanc, from Marlborough, where a magical sense of place unfolds under every footprint of our people and in every sip of our wine.
02 Place
Mother nature provides for us, from Māori who cultivated kūmara to the vineyards that give back to our biodiverse landscape today. Just as she has done for us, we guard and give back to her today.
The palpable sense of place is present throughout the mountains to the ocean, the valleys and ancient riverbeds. Throughout the hands of our people – the guardians of the vines – and deep into the vine roots established long ago. Bottled, for the world to enjoy.
Mother nature has provided for us for generations, decades, and centuries – given us mountain ranges that protect and cool the night air, ancient riverbeds that filter and purify our waters and enviable light that fills our days. And so we protect this gift and give back to our land, so that like the many who come before us, we make sure there is something verdant and flourishing there for the guardians of tomorrow. Papatūānuku provides and we nurture her in return, breathing life into our place for our people and communities, both today and tomorrow.
We are committed to world-class sustainability and protecting / improving Marlborough, our home and our quality wines. That is why 97% percent of Marlborough’s producing vineyard area is certified by Sustainable Winegrowing NZ™ - a widely recognised world-leading sustainability programme. The perfect pairing for our world-class wine.
This cycle of mutual care, respect and stewardship creates the perfect conditions for wine worthy of the top shelf, of sharing with the people you care about most.
Our natural environment is a significant force in our wine. Our place is a perfect nexus of the most ideal wine-growing conditions. It offers the purest of environments made of young soils and unique climate conditions that have helped not only earn our Sauvignon Blanc’s place on the global stage, but also to create other varieties worthy of the same recognition - that share the quality and palpable sense of place.
In every bottle, you are transported to the place where the grapes were meticulously nurtured, picked and crafted into wine. Where you can take your time to luxuriate in a place that envelops you in the perfect balance between sun and cool fresh air, of breeze and tranquility, of minerality and zesty fruitiness. Where things are encouraged to happen within their own time. This is what makes a Marlborough wine different. It’s a bottled feeling that welcomes you into the region and encourages you to linger a while.
03 People
There is an inescapable magnetism for the industry that draws in a melting pot of culture, passion and knowledge from all corners of the world.
Globally, there is immense respect for the craft of Marlborough wine, which is confidently passed on not just down through generations, but across regions and the globe as people come to learn from us and give back to our wine. The people of Marlborough wine are guardians for their craft - they guard it by sharing, to keep it alive and strong.
We tell stories to fill the hot days and cooler nights about the ones who came before – the pioneers, the innovators, the farmers, the guardians of the land who were restless innovators. There is a palpable energy that encapsulates the stories of those who have gone before us and the excitement for those to come, in the crisp wind, the rustling leaves of the vines, in the unfiltered light and in the whispers of the pure water as it navigates from our guarding mountain ranges through the gravels of our ancient riverbeds. It is palpable.
04 Spirited
Vibrancy is the sweet spot between maintaining quality and pushing boundaries. It evokes a life and personality that is warm and thriving, that people want to congregate around.
Genuine connections between our people strengthen the industry, like millions of neurons making connections and growing, building, and taking the industry forward together. Community is alive, well and flourishing.
There is more to our region than wine, but wine is an important part of the narrative. It contributes to the success of the region and provides opportunities for our people and partner industries to thrive.
The region and industry breathe with the rhythm of the seasons. The vines get greener as the harvest approaches and life in the community buzzes, as people from all over the globe come together. There is a feeling of balance as the earth seems to awaken. There is a swathe of green across the plains of Marlborough, from the mountains to the sea. When the earth rewards us for the care we afford it all year. The sky watches over our people and our place,covering our land in a nurturing light and bringing with it the winds of change. As the leaves turn yellow and harvest begins, we give thanks to mother nature (Papatūānuku) for providing for our communities, our stories, our people. We move inside to keep warm from the crisp sea breezes and luxuriate in the still-warm days. Winter is a time to congregate, to strengthen touch points between people, take care of our bodies and spirits and the fruits of the harvest, to prepare us for another year of revitalising growth. And to give thanks for the guardians that have come before us. There is life here, and balance.
Enliven your senses and awaken the moment.
05 Distinctive
Sauvignon Blanc put us on the world stage, and we continue to prove our place there. Sauvignon Blanc has nurtured a legacy of wine, where premium wines now flow from every corner of our subregions. Each sip is a splendid surprise that deepens the appreciation for the region and the industry alike.
A Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is a sophisticated wine that cannot be replicated. Its premium purity and flavour intensity has rightly earned its place on the world stage – the respect and care of our producers have kept it there. It is the anchor from which we curl exploratory tendrils of other varieties – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling – and show our range. It is the wine we can always lean on.
Impossible to imitate. The one you pick to impress, the one you pick that brings joy to the occasion and enlivens palates and sense. The one you choose above all others. Worldly, accomplished and on stage with no others.
06 Driven
Everything is moving forward, nothing stands still. We acknowledge how far we have come, but know the journey stretches out before us and refuse to stand still.
The roots of innovation are embedded deep in the earth beneath us. There is an unmistakable and unreplaceable drive to take wine further, explore and innovate. There is an allure to being limitless with a genuine collegial foundation underpinning whatever we do next. Where size and strength doesn’t impede curiosity.
In Marlborough, innovation is not bound by tradition; it is where ingenuity takes flight as our dynamic industry plays and builds on what has come before. Where innovation breathes life into every glass. Where there is always a new detail or subtlety to notice and appreciate, even in the familiar.
07 Diverse
Where complexity collides with simplicity to deliver a fresh appreciation for Marlborough wine.
We go beyond simple connections and encourage connection and conversation between contradictions – recognising the existence of different perspectives and priorities, but trusting in core shared values to develop innovative, future-looking solutions.
We lift one another up by building communities that offer genuine support and not shying away from difficult conversations. We know innovation is found in the spaces between the people that came before us and the people yet to come, uncertainty and clarity, relaxation and sophistication, premium and value, surprise and reliability…
While we may choose Marlborough for Sauvignon Blanc, we find more around every corner, in every bottle and in every story – exploration is endless, and Marlborough has a wine to suit every occasion.
08 Surprising
Marlborough - where the NZ wine experience comes alive and surprises you. Excites you and leaves you energised, awakened to possibilities and fervently ready for more.
MarlboroughNZ
MarlboroughNZ
Winery recruitment campaign. Photo: Richard Briggs
Request access to brand toolkit
50 Years. Let’s celebrate together!
Alongside the new Marlborough Wine brand identity, we have developed a 50-year celebratory device and a range of activations members and community alike can get involved with to help amplify our 50-year milestone from August 2023.
This toolkit has restricted access to protect the integrity of the brand. To access the password please contact: sarah@winemarlborough.nz
