ALLAN SCOTT took a punt on a new job in August 1973, joining 90 bewildered workers in the dry and dusty Brancott Valley. A few months later only a dozen of the team remained, toiling to plant Montana’s first Marlborough vineyard, with little idea of what they were doing or why.

“Having to carve out a whole new life I didn’t know about was probably one of the best decisions I made,” says the recipient of the 2022 Wine Marlborough Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognises his enormous contribution over the past 50 years.

“WHAT WILL your vineyard look like in 10 years with no intervention?” That’s the question Mark Allen likes to ask vineyard owners, given the risks of trunk disease and virus, and the opportunities of replanting. “Marlborough is in a huge transitional phase at the moment,” says Mark, who was awarded a Wine Marlborough Lifetime Achievement Award in late October, recognising his relentless commitment to viticulture over the past 35 years. “Now is the time to think about the future.”

Mark began his career in kiwifruit in Tauranga but was lured over to grape vines when his good friend and neighbour Morton Brown established Morton Estate Vineyards. His kiwifruit skillsets served him well in his new field, with soils and vines and canopy management key to the success of both crops, he says.

Saint Clair Pioneer Block 28 Camp Block Pinot Blanc 2019 has shown huge promise in its second vintage, picking up the Move Freight Champion Other White Wine Trophy at the 2022 Marlborough Wine Show.

Saint Clair Family Estate Winemaker Heather Stewart says receiving the award was extra special for the company, given that it is a recent addition to their offerings.

Whitehaven’s Kōparepare Marlborough Pinot Noir Rosé 2022 has been crowned Scenic Hotel Marlborough Champion Rosé at the 2022 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect.

Kōparepare Brand Ambassador Samantha White says it was the third year in a row that the wine had taken out a gold medal at the Show. To get the trophy was an added bonus.

A drive to produce fantastic Marlborough Chardonnay has been recognised at the 2022 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect.

Giesen Wines received two trophies for their Single Vineyard Clayvin Chardonnay 2018: the MRC Champion Chardonnay, 2019 and Older, as well as the Vit Management Ltd Best Organic Wine of the Show.

Ten-time NZ music award-winning duo Broods will grace the main stage with an hour-long DJ set, drawing from their popular albums.

Wine Marlborough General Manager Marcus Pickens anticipates that the Nelson-born artists will be one of the festival’s musical highlights, alongside Coterie – a five piece band with a reputation for excellent live shows.

When Indevin Winemaker Dean Boyce set about making the Honorary Lilac Vines Gewürztraminer 2021, creating something special was front of mind.

His efforts came to fruition when the wine was crowned the Wine Brokers New Zealand Champion Gewürztraminer at the 2022 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect.

A careful synergy of unique flavours was at the forefront when Saint Clair Family Estate winemakers set out to create their award winning Saint Clair James Sinclair Pinot Gris 2021.

The wine picked up the Litho and Label Champion Pinot Gris at the 2022 Marlborough Wine Show, one of three wines to take home a gold medal in the category.

The locals-only and early-bird tickets sold out in a flash, a balmy La Niña summer is forecast and wineries are getting ready for the 2023 Marlborough Wine & Food Festival.

Wine Marlborough is delighted to see the return of New Zealand’s longest-running food and wine festival after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19. This will be the 36th Wine & Food Festival, bringing exciting newcomers such as Rimapere Vineyard and The Uncommon Wine of New Zealand to the fore alongside family-owned wineries that have exhibited at the festival for many years to become part of the festival’s heritage – such as Hunter’s Wines, Forrest Wines and Wairau River Wines.

If you’re searching for a taste of the Awatere Valley, you’ll find it in a bottle of Tohu Whenua Awa Pinot Noir 2019.

Tohu Wines picked up The Coterie Wine of Provenance trophy for the second time at the 2022 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect, showing their expertise when it comes to capturing a sense of place in the bottle.

Knowledge passed from one winemaking team to another over nearly a decade has come up trumps at the 2022 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect.

Despite previously being a category dominated by white wines, Wither Hills picked up the Marlborough Museum Legacy Award with their Wither Hills Taylor River Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019, 2015 and 2011.

The 2022 Marlborough Wine Show Champion Wine of the Show, sponsored by QuayConnect, is the result of years of hard work on the road to perfection.

Marisco Vineyards Proprietor and Winemaker Brent Marris says the journey of Marisco Vineyards ‘The King’s Wrath’ Pinot Noir 2021 began long before the 2021 vintage, way back when they first planted Pinot Noir grapes in Marlborough’s Southern Valleys.

Congratulations to Alun Kilby from Marisco in Marlborough for becoming the 2022 Tonnellerie de Mercurey NZ Young Winemaker of the Year.

Alun, 28, is Production Winemaker at Marisco. He has worked in the New Zealand wine industry for 13 years from Auckland to Central Otago before settling in Marlborough and is thrilled to take out this prestigious title.

Marisco Vineyards ‘The King’s Wrath’ Pinot Noir 2021 has been crowned the Champion Wine of the 2022 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect.

The company wasn’t the only one to make waves with Pinot Noir; the variety shined at the 2022 competition, across all vintages and subregions.

With judging complete for the 2022 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect, 45 gold medals have been awarded to Marlborough wines today.

Seventeen judges are about to immerse themselves in Marlborough wine as the Marlborough Wine Show sponsored by QuayConnect kicks off this week.

Those judges will be kept busy with entries in most categories well above previous years. Chief Judge Ben Glover says wineries are well aware of the importance of shows, particularly regional ones such as Marlborough.

Congratulations to Alun Kilby from Marisco, who came became the 2022 Tonnellerie de Mercurey Marlborough Young Winemaker of the Year. The competition was held on 21st September at MRC and the winners were announced at the Awards Dinner the same evening.

Wine Enthusiast’s 23rd Annual Wine Star Award nominees have been announced, honouring individuals and companies that make outstanding contributions to the wine and alcohol beverage world. We are pleased to let you know Marlborough has once again been nominated for Wine Region of the Year.

In the lead up to the local government elections, Winepress reports a Q&A with Marlborough’s 2022 Mayoral Candidates and checks in with candidates in the Wairau Awatere ward.

Congratulations to Tahryn Mason from Villa Maria in Marlborough, who became the 2022 Corteva Young Viticulturist of the Year. The National Final was held on 30 August at Indevin’s Bankhouse in Marlborough with the announcement made at the Awards Dinner the following evening.