Wine industry professionals, vineyards owners, managers and workers are invited to the inaugural WinePro, the most extensive showcase of equipment and suppliers for the wine industry, taking place 25th - 27th June at Marlborough Lines Stadium 2000, Blenheim.

Set against the stunning backdrop of New Zealand's largest wine-producing region, this event promises to be a must attend for everyone connected with the world of wine. Preparations are well under way as Marlborough prepares to roll out the red carpet to welcome national and international visitors to the region in the industry's biggest trade event.

Marlborough: Its long days of sunshine, crisp mornings, towering mountain ranges, meandering riverbeds and the sunken valleys of the Marlborough Sounds, glistening with crisp, emerald green waters.

If Marlborough came in a flavour there’s no doubt it would be Sauvignon Blanc, the wine that put the region on the map more than 30 years ago.

Méthode Marlborough executive board and technical sub-committee member Andrew Parley says the annual celebration is a chance to celebrate Marlborough’s sparkling wine harvest.

“We start the Marlborough harvest with the first grapes coming in for our traditional method wines, so it’s a time to celebrate the new vintage kicking off,” he says.

When it comes to Riesling, the Germans have long been onto a good thing.

The first known written reference to the drop was in 1402, termed then as ‘Rüssling, in the city of Worms, Germany. It’s no wonder, then, that German winemakers are a source of inspiration for one of Marlborough’s avid Riesling producers…

For more than 30 years, we’ve spent the week putting the final touches on the iconic Marlborough Wine and Food Festival, which historically takes place on the second Saturday of February.

Here are a few of the events happening around Marlborough on Saturday 12, and Sunday 13 February 2022.

There’s nothing quite like a crisp wine on a hot summer’s day, and recent years have seen a rise in the status of Marlborough Rosé. ⁠

⁠With help from Nick Entwistle, Wairau River Wines and Dave Clouston, Two Rivers, here's our Guide to Marlborough Rosè [link in bio].⁠

⁠NZ Rosé Day is this Saturday, 5th of February. Have you got your glass of Marlborough Rosé ready to raise?⁠

Peter Russell retained his title at the 2021 Tonnellerie de Mercurey Marlborough Young Winemaker of the Year competition, taking top spot for the second year running. But the Matua winemaker says there was seriously tough competition, with the calibre of contestants climbing as the event matures. “It gets pretty intense,” he says, thankful that he had plenty of past experience to remind him to “take a breath” and take stock of each question.

Jess Wilson reckons she has the best job in the world. The 29-year-old Whitehaven viticulturalist loves the variety her role involves, satisfying both her love of horticulture and science, enjoyment of dealing with people and a good balance of indoor and outdoor work. 

Last month Jess took the title of Corteva Marlborough Young Viticulturist of the Year, following a competition that saw her tested on everything from trellising and irrigation to her interview and speech skills. 

The variety is the star of today and the star of the future, says viticulturist and wine research stalwart Dominic Pecchenino, who moved to Marlborough from the US in the early 1990s. “Marlborough owns Sauvignon Blanc – we own the style, no one else can do it.” There is no “secret clone”, he says. “The fruit develops at a time when the weather conditions are perfect.”

Leading British wine writer Oz Clarke clearly recalls the moment he discovered Sauvignon Blanc. “A wine that took the whole concept of green and expanded it, stretched it and pummelled it, and gloriously reinterpreted it on a riot of gooseberry and lime zest, green apples, green pepper, sliced through with an ice-cold knife of steel.”