Marlborough Wine Stories

Marlborough is unique – not for any one reason but for many. This region is full of colour, complexity and diversity – making this part of New Zealand truly special. Explore our uniquely Marlborough wine stories.

From August 2023 the region’s winemakers and growers are celebrating 50 years of Marlborough’s official beginning as a wine region. Discover the history of our region’s wine brands and explore stories about our people and place that make it special here.

Mount Riley Wines continues success at Marlborough Wine Show with two new trophies

Mount Riley Wines have added to their collection of Marlborough Wine Show trophies, picking up two at the 2024 show, sponsored by QuayConnect.

For the second year running, the team was awarded the Wine Brokers New Zealand Champion Gewürztraminer, this year with the 2024 vintage of their Mount Riley Marlborough Gewürztraminer, following the same success by the 2023 vintage last year.

The team was also awarded the Chandler Glass & Packaging Alternate Style Sauvignon Blanc with their Mount Riley 17 Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023.

Chief Winemaker Matt Murphy said it was validating to have received the Gewürztraminer trophy two years in a row, and he was proud to have made an impression with their alternative style Sauvignon Blanc, made in an effort to push the boundaries of the wine our region is so well known for.

He shares a little more insight below…

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Champion Wine of the Show a taste of Marlborough’s southern coast

Yealands Wines was the winner of the 2024 Marlborough Wine Show, Sponsored by QuayConnect, walking away with four trophies for their Yealands Estate Single Block L5 Sauvignon Blanc 2024. 

Senior Winemaker and Winery Manager Anthony Walkenhorst and his team had some big competition at the show this year, with Marlborough’s flagship wine making a big splash across the board.

Despite the strong competition, the wine was crowned QuayConnect Champion Wine of the Show, The Coterie Wine of Provenance, Circuit Logistics Champion Awatere and South Marlborough Wine, and WineWorks Champion Sauvignon Blanc, Current Vintage for 2024.

Anthony shared some insights into the wine, and what made this vintage so good…

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Champion Sauvignon Blanc showcases sense of place

One of Marlborough’s pioneering winemaking companies has picked up the trophy for the region’s flagship wine at the 2023 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect.

Wairau River Sauvignon Blanc 2023 was presented the WineWorks Champion Current Vintage Sauvignon Blanc trophy at the celebration evening, which was also a celebration of 50 years of modern winemaking in Marlborough.

Chief winemaker Nick Entwistle says the wine is made using grapes from their ‘Home Block’, the first vineyard block established by the Rose Family in 1978.

To receive the award in this milestone year was special for the team. He shared with us a little about what sets the wine apart…

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Sauvignon Blanc crowned Champion of Awatere and South Marlborough

Fifty years on from breaking ground with Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, Triplebank has been awarded the QuayConnect Champion Awatere & South Marlborough trophy with their Triplebank Sauvignon Blanc 2023.

The award was presented at the 2023 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect, which was also a celebration of 50 years of modern winemaking in Marlborough. Then Montana, the company was among the first producers to plant Sauvignon Blanc in the region in the 70s.

This year was the first year the show recognised champion wines from Marlborough’s subregions. Winemaker Lan Zhang told us what makes the Triplebank Sauvignon Blanc worthy of the 2023 title for Awatere & South Marlborough…

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Marlborough Wine Show 2023, Sauvignon Blanc Sarah Linklater Marlborough Wine Show 2023, Sauvignon Blanc Sarah Linklater

Award-winning Sauvignon Blanc showcases its age-worthiness

The Wineworks Champion Sauvignon Blanc, 2022 & Older trophy at the 2023 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect, has been awarded to a recently-released Sauvignon Blanc by Villa Maria.

Winemaker Kathrin Jankowiec says the late release of the 2022 Villa Maria Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Sauvignon Blanc was intentional, as the company works to showcase the age-worthiness of quality Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

She shared some insight into the wine, and how it felt to win an award for Marlborough’s flagship variety during the 50th anniversary year of modern winemaking in the region.

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Hard work leads to champion alternate style sauvignon blanc trophy despite tricky vintage

Catalina Sounds has once again nabbed the WineWorks Alternate Style Sauvignon Blanc trophy at the 2023 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect.

Winemaker Matt Ward shared with us a little about the wine of the moment, their Sound of White Sauvignon 2022, and about experimenting with our most famous drop…

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