Home About Us Vineyard Kitchen Our Wines News Social Media Distribution Orders Contact Us About Us Our People Vineyards & Viticulture Winery Marlborough Join the Saint Clair Wines mailing list Search Wines Reserve Range Pioneer Block Range Premium Range Vicar's Choice Range Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay Riesling Pinot Gris Grüner Veltliner Gewürztraminer Viognier Rosé Pinot Noir Merlot Cabernet Merlot Malbec Syrah Trophies Connect with Saint Clair Follow @saintclairwine View Saint Clair on YouTube View Saint Clair on YouTube View Saint Clair on Flickr View Saint Clair on Flickr Subscribe to Saint Clair RSS Subscribe to Saint Clair RSS Read the Saint Clair Family Estate Blog Read the Saint Clair Family Estate Blog Saint Clair Social Media Feeds Marlborough Home > About Us > Marlborough “The great thing about Marlborough is that it has produced for the first time since the war, maybe this century, a flavour which no one’s ever found before.” Oz Clarke, UK wine writer, Oz Clark’s Wine Atlas Marlborough is situated at the top northeastern tip of New Zealand’s South Island at altitude of 40 degrees south of the equator, parallel to some of the worlds’ major wine growing regions in the Northern Hemisphere. It is a clean, quiet sunny valley sheltered from the worst of New Zealand’s maritime weather by hills to the north and south. Its main town Blenheim regularly tops New Zealand’s record for highest annual sunshine hours. It has a growing population due to the fast growing wine industry, gourmet food industry and commercial mussel and salmon farming in the nearby picturesque Marlborough Sounds. Experts find it hard to believe that the first grapes were planted in Marlborough as recently as 1973. Marlborough is now the largest grape growing and winemaking region in New Zealand and produces approximately 70 percent of New Zealand’s wine exports The star grape variety is Sauvignon Blanc, recognised internationally as a benchmark flavour and varietal character standard. The fertile, free-draining silt loam soils of the lower Wairau Valley provide ideal growing conditions for Sauvignon Blanc. Marlborough’s two other most popular varieties, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, prosper in the shallow clay soils of the southern valleys. Long sunshine hours and cooler nights develop a flavour concentration which is becoming increasingly evident in Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Merlot, as well as Sauvignon Blanc. photos courtesy of "Discover Marlborough" www.discovermarlborough.co.nz Marlborough Wine Trail Map 688kb More information on Marlborough & New Zealand wines: destinationmarlborough.com nzwine.com back to top of page Saint Clair Family Estate :: Marlborough :: New Zealand Vintage | Contact Us | Distributors | Trade & Media | Orders | Join Mailing List Saint Clair Wines RSS Follow Saint Clair on Twitter Follow Saint Clair on Facebook