Wine TimelineThe decision made by Montana in 1973 to plant wine grapes in Marlborough was the most visionary and vital one made in the short history of the New Zealand Wine Industry. It wasn’t an easy road to success, but led by science, our enviable natural environment, and a brave small community who got together and got things done, Marlborough put New Zealand wine on the world map.
Marlborough has quickly grown to be New Zealand’s largest producer and has grown at an outstanding rate, growing from 6,831 hectares in 2002 to 22,819 in 2013. Today, almost 30,000ha of vines (around 2/3 of the national total) are under the care of local wine producers, making it the country's largest wine region.
Coincidentally, 2023 also marks 150 years since Marlborough’s first vineyard of Muscat was planted at Auntsfield by Scotsman David Herd in 1873. These vines were pulled out in 1931 and no others were recorded in the region until 1973.
Daniel Le Brun
1980
Adele and Daniel, along with 4-month-old daughter Virginie, made the move to Marlborough. Daniel brought with him 50,000 cuttings from his Rotorua nursery. These hand-grown vines went into cool storage until they purchased 30 acres along State Highway 6 to plant their first Marlborough vineyard and a site in Renwick (where Mahi is today) for the winery.
Phylloxera
1984
Disease found in Marlborough vineyards leading to the use of disease resistant root stock.
Brent Marris
1984
The first Marlborough person to become a qualified wine maker.
Wine and Food festival
1985
First wine and food festival where the visitors were bused around different vineyards. This went on to become an annual event, moving from Montana Wines Brancott estate to the Renwick Domain in 2023
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc Received international recognition
1985
David Hohnen and winemaker Kevin Judd launched Cloudy Bay in 1985 to international acclaim, with a Sauvignon Blanc that put New Zealand wine on the map.
Great wine pull
1986
Government pays out to remove vines due to wine glut. Growers took the opportunity to plant Phylloxera resistant root stock and popular varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc.
Hunter’s
1986
Hunter Wines win gold awards at the Sunday Times Vintage Festival U.K. in 1986, 87 and 88.
In April 2016, 30 years after that first win, Hunter’s repeated history by winning the prestigious Wine of the Show at the Sunday Times Vintage Festival in London, UK
Vavasour Awatere
1986
In 1986, the Awatere was a distant landscape dotted with sheep and thought too extreme for vines, so Peter Vavasour had the pick of the Valley. With sheep and beef farming suddenly marginal, Peter started looking to diversify, and planted 30 acres of grapes in 1985-86.
Vavasour’s first vintage was in 1989 and it wasn’t long before they discovered their punt had paid off, with their Sauvignon Blanc winning Champion Wine in the 1989 Air New Zealand Wine Show.
QEII
1989
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II visited Brancott Vineyard, 13 Feb 1989.