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<\/p>\nAs Marlborough prepares to host a global conference on New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in 2027, Sarah Neish speaks to event chair Natalie Christensen about why its sub-regions will take centre stage.<\/p>\n
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In February 2027 members of the press and wine trade, as well as consumers, will descend on Marlborough to dive into the next chapter for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. The three-day event held in Blenheim will explore the potential for this expressive variety \u2013 one of the most successful export products of all time \u2013 from all over New Zealand.<\/p>\n
But while \u2018Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc\u2019 has become a powerful brand in its own right, the event intends to dive deeper into Marlborough\u2019s sub-regions, and indeed other locations in both the country\u2019s North Island and South Island.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will be very inclusive of all New Zealand,\u201d Natalie Christensen, event chair and chief winemaker for Yealands, told the drinks business in an exclusive interview. \u201cSo not only Marlborough, but Central Otago, Martinborough, Hawke\u2019s Bay\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
The last time New Zealand dedicated such an intensive education drive to Sauvignon Blanc was in 2019, and much has changed since then.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a chance for us to build more depth and layers to the story,\u201d said Christensen. In particular she is keen to tell the \u201csub-regional narratives of singular sites\u201d.<\/p>\n
Challenging wine snobbery<\/p>\n
Christensen also hopes the event will provide an opportunity to combat some of the wine snobbery that still lingers within the industry. \u201cOur Sauvignon Blanc has such an identifiable character that consumers feel really comfortable with it,\u201d she told db. \u201cAnd maybe that\u2019s part of the snobbery, that it\u2019s so widely loved. But we\u2019re not embarrassed or ashamed about making joyous wines, and there are plenty of serious, complex wines coming out of New Zealand, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perhaps, she suggests, the conference may help to \u201copen up the minds of some of these gatekeepers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a real groundswell of building a fierce pride in what we do,\u201d she added. \u201cIn the past we\u2019ve almost taken the success of our Sauvignon Blanc for granted, but this is about making sure we stay in the position we are in and continue to put out a high quality product.\u201d<\/p>\n
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2027 will explore \u201cthe full spectrum of producers, from commercial operators to smaller, more niche producers\u201d and will lift the lid on how different soil types and microclimates across the nation contribute to wines with significantly different flavour profiles.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m hoping it will put New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc front of mind globally for everyone,\u201d said Christensen.<\/p>\n
Marlborough Pinot Noir<\/p>\n
The 2027 Sauvignon Blanc event follows on from 2025\u2019s three-day conference dedicated to New Zealand Pinot Noir, staged in Christchurch. As db gleaned from attending the packed roster of talks and tastings, the country\u2019s Pinots are steered as much by the waterways (rivers, glacier lakes and oceans) that flow through and around the nation<\/a>, as they are by their winemaking.<\/p>\n According to recent data from Wine-Searcher, Pinot Noir now accounts for 32.4% of all New Zealand-specific online wine searches, nipping at the heels of Sauvignon Blanc, which accounts for 35% of searches. Marlborough holds the largest share of New Zealand\u2019s Pinot plantings (2,733 hectares compared to second-biggest Pinot region, Central Otago, at 1,656ha), and the frequent flooding of the 170km-long Wairau river, which flows through Marlborough, deposits silts on the vineyard plains. When the famous Marlborough wind blows through, these silts are whisked up onto the valley slopes, adding a top layer of loess to the region\u2019s clay-based soils.<\/p>\n \u201cThis really helps out with water-holding capacity because clays can bake out dry,\u201d said Clive Jones, winemaker at Nautilus Estate.<\/p>\n The hallmarks of Marlborough Pinot are bright, juicy, red fruit characters such as cherries and plums, sometimes with a little spice, alongside crunchy acidity.<\/p>\n \u201cThe beauty of Marlborough Pinot is that it really reflects the vintage more than any other variety,\u201d Jan Johns, co-owner of the organic and biodynamic Wrekin Vineyard in the Southern Valleys sub-region of Marlborough, told db. \u201cThe wines talk of the season and what happened with Mother Nature. That\u2019s why we\u2019re in this game, because not every year is the same. Otherwise, we\u2019d make Coca-Cola, or beer.\u201d<\/p>\n Related news<\/p>\n \n \n
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