Marlboroughalluring.Aswellas running11,000merino
sheepand 1200 cattle,MiddlehurstStationis embracing
Marlborough’snewgroovebyhostingmountainbikers,
hunters,corporategroupsandanyonewhowantsto
getaway– faraway– fromtheratrace.It’sfromthis
bird’s-eyevantagethatweviewthesnow-dustedpeaks
oftheKaikouraRangesthreadedbyice-bluebraided
riversthatcourseintoMarlboroughSounds.
Australiansmade1.4millionvisitsacrossthe
Tasmanlastyear,andasMarlborough’sappealto
travellersgrows,itsattractionsarebeinghonedforthe
long-shortstay.Wetakea 30-minuteflightsouth-west
fromWellingtonacrossCookStraittoBlenheim,
althoughthethree-and-a-half-hourferryridetoPicton
throughQueenCharlotteSoundis regarded
asoneofthemostpicturesqueferryridesin
theworld.Marlboroughlendsitselfeasilyto
a three-nightvisit,althoughthere’splenty
toencouragea longertraipsethroughan
areawith 34 cellardoorsineasycycling
distanceofeachother,andtwoskiresorts.
Butfirst,thesauvignonblanc.Much
liketheregionitself,thewineis evolving.Notsimply
thesingle-noteclichéofcheapsupermarketbottles,
it’sgrowingincomplexityandmaturityaswinemakers
explorethepossibilitiesofbarrelageing,wild
fermentationandproducingpreservative-free.
A tastingat DogPointdemonstratesthisevolution.
ItsSection 94 SauvignonBlanc,agedinFrenchoak
barrelsfor 18 monthsandbottledwithoutfining,
is complexandfullbodied;a texturalripostetothe
grape’sfruityreputation.Thisis sauvignonblanc
inwitnessprotection,readytorejoinpolitesociety.
Downtheroadat TeWhareRaVineyard&Winery,
cowsroamthevineyardsindormantseason,performing
thedoubledutyofmowingthegrassandfertilisingthe
earth.Runbywifeandhusband,AnnaandJason
Flowerday,oneoftheoldestsmallvineyardsin
Marlboroughalsousesseaweedtonourishthesoil.
“Wepreferthesmaller,morehandmadeapproach
towine,”saysAnna,andsheexplainstheMaori
notionofkaitiakitanga,orguardianshipoftheland.
TheMaoriwordmana,whichtranslatesroughly
asintegrity,hasbeenadoptedasthesloganofthe
MarlboroughNaturalWinegrowers.
Justaspithily,shedescribestheirnew-style
sauvignonblancas“theunpluggedversion– not
loudandshouty,almostacoustic”.Butit’snotjust
savblancthatshouldbeonthetraveller’sradar,she
says.Pinotnoirandrieslingareemergingasregional
heroes,whilechardonnayis startingtoturnheads.
Atlastyear’sNewZealandWineoftheYearawards,
Marlboroughvineyardstookvarietaltrophiesfor
sparkling,gewürztraminer,pinotgris,riesling,grüner
veltliner and chardonnay, as well as sauvignon blanc.➤“I loveitwhenpeoplecome to
Marlboroughforsavblanc, but
I loveitevenmorewhenthey go
away with something different.”
GOURMET TRAVELLER 133