The 2021 Marlborough Wine Show’s Best Organic Wine was the result of hard graft at Giesen Group’s Clayvin Vineyard; each vine tended by hand.

Giesen Chief Winemaker Duncan Shouler says winning the Vit Management Ltd Best Organic Wine trophy for their Giesen Single Vineyard Clayvin Pinot Noir 2017 was fantastic for the company.

The title of Champion Sweet Wine at the 2021 Marlborough Wine Show is another title to add to a growing list for Forrest Wines.

Officially titled the Barrel Finance and Logistics Champion Sweet Wine, the trophy was awarded to the Forrest Wines Botrytised Riesling 2018, the most renowned wine in the family business’ range.

It was also the only wine of seven in the category to receive a gold medal this year.

Marlborough Wine Show’s Champion Rosé for 2021 was the first attempt at a Rosé for the winning winery in six years.

Trophy winners Riverby Estate last made a Rosé in 2015, and knocked it out of the park when they decided to put it back on their wine list this year.

Winery owner Kevin Courtney says while they had previously made Rosés using Pinot Noir and Syrah, the 2021 vintage was made using a small percentage of Pinot Gris and Grüner Veltliner in place of Syrah, to boost the aromatics of the wine.

Tohu Wines’ Rewa Méthode Traditionelle Blancs de Blancs 2015 has made a habit of picking up awards, the latest being the title of Champion Sparkling Wine at the 2021 Marlborough Wine Show.

Officially known as the Vitis & Winemaking Champion Sparkling Wine trophy, the category attracted a 45% increase in entries this year, with five Gold Medals awarded.

Tohu Wines Winemaker Anna McCarty says their Rewa Méthode Traditionelle Blanc de Blancs has had a long and successful history for the company, consistently gaining recognition as an elite wine.

Named after New Zealand’s honeysuckle tree, the Rewarewa, the wine was made with celebration in mind, she says.

Consistent recognition is proving both a blessing and a challenge for the makers of this year’s Champion Chardonnay, previous vintage, at the Marlborough Wine Show.

Officially known as the MRC Champion Chardonnay, 2019 & Older, the title was awarded to the Mount Riley 17 Valley Chardonnay 2019, the latest of many awards for this wine.

Mount Riley Wines Chief Winemaker Matt Murphy says it's a privilege to be able to continue the legacy of such an outstanding wine.

Wairau River Wines picked up three awards at the Marlborough Wine Show, two of which were for lesser known varieties in the region.

The Wairau River Reserve Syrah 2020 picked up the Wine Marlborough Champion Other Red Varietal, made from grapes planted in Rapaura on a hunch in 2010.

The Coterie Wine of Provenance at the 2021 Marlborough Wine Show was made using fruit from a ‘truly magical’ vineyard in the Awatere Valley.

Awarded to the Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2021, Winemaker Laura-Kate Morgan says she and her team were humbled to receive the trophy.

The Champion Pinot Noir from a previous vintage at the Marlborough Wine Show was born out of a desire to create outstanding Pinot Noir.

Marisco Vineyards Red Wine Programme Lead Winemaker, Seb Bouchut, says he and his team were thrilled to receive the award, officially known as the Classic Oak Products Champion Pinot Noir, 2019 & older, for The King's Wrath Pinot Noir 2019.

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. 

In the past five years Marlborough’s vineyard planted area has increased by 24 percent, to nearly 29,000 hectares, with even more growth expected in the next four years.

The Marlborough Wine Industry Growth Forecast is based on a survey of a mix of wineries, growers and industry contractors undertaken at the end of 2020. It shows that in just four years just over 5,500 hectares more vines have been planted in the region.

Marlborough’s 2021 vintage story is one of low crops and “exceptional” wines, according to Forrest Estate General Manager Beth Forrest. “For me it was the year for Sauvignon Blanc,” says the winemaker, describing the complexity of Marlborough’s flagship variety. “They were overly aromatic and beautiful, with multi-layered flavour levels as well.

Plant & Food Research weather expert Rob Agnew says lower yields were due to a variety of factors, including inclement flowering conditions, with Marlborough temperatures mostly lower than average from mid-November to the first week of December last year.

Close to one fifth of all economic activity in Marlborough is generated from the wine industry, according to a report released today.

The report by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) was commissioned by Wine Marlborough Ltd and highlights the role the wine industry plays in the continued economic growth of Marlborough.

When Neal and Judy Ibbotson bought a bare block of land on the outskirts of Blenheim, it was meant as a stepping stone to something bigger. Instead it was the “right place at the right time”, say the founders of Saint Clair Family Estate, 42 years after planting their first vines.

Marlborough wine companies are counting their luck, after harvesting the 2020 vintage amidst a national lockdown. But the vintage will be remembered for more than winery bubbles and Covid-19 precautions, with a benign season delivering excellent fruit.

“If you didn’t panic; if you weighed up your options and proceeded calmly, then you could make the most of an extremely good harvest - one of the best we’ve had,” says Dog Point viticulturist Nigel Sowman.