Marlborough, New Zealand
Marlborough is one of the
regions of New Zealand, located in the northeast of the
South Island. Marlborough is known for its dry climate, the picturesque
Marlborough Sounds, and
Sauvignon blanc wine.
Marlborough's geography can be roughly divided into four sections. Two of these sections, in the south and the west, are mountainous. This is particularly true of the southern section, which rises to the peaks of the
Kaikoura Ranges. These two mountainous regions are the final northern vestiges of the ranges that make up the
Southern Alps, although that name is rarely applied to mountains this far north.
Between these two areas is the long straight valley of the
Wairau River. This broadens to wide plains at its eastern end, in the centre of which stands the town of
Blenheim. This region has fertile soil and temperate weather, and as such has become a centre of the New Zealand
wine industry.
Marlborough's fourth geographic zone lies along its north coast. Here, the drowned valleys of the
Marlborough Sounds make for a convoluted and attractive coastline. The town of
Picton is located at the southern end of one of the larger sounds,
Queen Charlotte Sound .
Marlborough is administered by a
unitary authority, the
Marlborough District Council.
Much of the region's population is found around the coastal plains around and to the south of the mouth of the Wairau, and in smaller settlements along the coast of the Sounds. Other than that of Blenheim and Picton, Marlborough's towns include
Havelock,
Renwick,
Ward, and
Seddon. For some purposes, the town of
Kaikoura is also considered part of Marlborough.
Marlborough's world-famous former residents include rocket scientist
William Pickering and
Nobel Prize-winning physicist
Ernest Rutherford.
Blenheim is the regions
capital and only
city. It also has the largest population of the area.
Its major towns and cities are:
Marlborough can lay claim to starting the modern
New Zealand wine industry. Here in the late 1970s, Montana produced
Sauvignon Blanc, among other varieties, which led to confidence that New Zealand could produce exciting wine.
The majority of Marlborough's extensive vineyard plantings are around
Renwick,
Blenheim, and
Cloudy Bay in the Wairau valley. Further south in the Awatere valley are plantings near
Seddon. These are for the most part on old terraces of the
Wairau and
Awatere rivers.
The area is widely considered by many critics to produce the world's best Sauvignon Blanc. See
Cloudy Bay Vineyards and
Grove Mill. Also important is the production of Methode Traditionelle sparkling wines, particularly near Renwick, from
Riesling,
Pinot Noir and
Chardonnay.
*
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Waikawa*
Marlborough Sounds*
Marlborough Online*
Marlborough District Council*
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