Our world renowned wine region - Marlborough

In the last few decades, Marlborough has become recognised as one of the world’s premier wine regions. It is renowned as home of the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world and is gaining an increasing reputation for Pinot Noir as well. Other aromatic varieties also achieve exceptional results in the distinctive Marlborough climate.

Marlborough wines are characterised by strong aroma, intense fruit flavours and appealing acid balance.

The region lies at the north-eastern tip of New Zealand’s South Island, with the main Wairau Plain wedged between the Richmond Ranges and the Wither Hills.

The sheltering mountains mean Marlborough experiences low rainfall over the growing season. While the region falls at the cool end of the winegrowing spectrum, summer days are long, sunny and warm. The nights are markedly cooler though, with average night temperatures 10ºC lower than by day. This slows down ripening and helps to lock in the flavours in the grapes.

Because of the typically dry autumn weather, the grapes can be left on the vine for longer, so they achieve exquisite ripeness.

The soils in Wairau Valley generally range from very stony at the northern end to clay soils towards the south. Lying near the middle of the valley floor, Bouldevines has a mixture of fine soils studded with boulders.

When modern winegrowing started in Marlborough in the 1970s, Bouldevines was one of the first to develop a vineyard.