Marlborough, renowned for its thrillingly intense sauvignon blancs, promotes itself as ‘the sauvignon blanc capital of the world.'

Some of the region's exporters even believe that Marlborough's international profile for wine is higher than New Zealand's.

Hot and cold

	The Allan Scott vineyard in Blenheim, in the heart of Marlborough – of the country’s premier winegrowing regions.
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The region has a unique combination of climate and stony soils that has proven to be perfect for the sauvignon blanc grape. Although it is hot and sunny during the day, the nights are cold, even in mid-summer, which intensifies the grapes' aromas and flavours and preserves their crisp, natural acidity.

This pungent style of sauvignon blanc appeals to people new to wine - it leaps out of the glass at you. There are other, more restrained and complex styles now coming through, typically involving more barrel-aging, from such wineries as Seresin and Isabel.

Not just one grape

But it's not all sauvignon blanc here. A major new source of excitement is pinot noir. Montana, which grows most of its pinot noir in Marlborough, claims to be the biggest producer of pinot noir in the world.

Other successful varieties and styles include riesling (medium-dry and honey-sweet), chardonnay, pinot gris, gewürztraminer and distinguished sparkling wines, such as Daniel Le Brun and Pelorus, from Cloudy Bay.

Wining and dining

Most of the producers are clustered in the Wairau Valley, where many operate vineyard restaurants. Among the best known are Hunter's and Allan Scott's Twelve Trees Vineyard restaurant.

Herzog is owned by a couple who founded a Michelin-rated restaurant in Switzerland, before they upped anchor and came to Marlborough. Now they make a small volume of powerful, concentrated wines and run the most sophisticated restaurant in the region, with an incredibly impressive wine list.

For a magical place to relax, I enjoy Highfield, which offers sweeping views across the valley from a Tuscan-style tower and excellent wines.

Much to do about Marlborough

You could easily spend three days in Marlborough wine country. There are walking, cycling and bus tours of the vineyards, and you can drive over the hills to the Awatere Valley, where new vineyards are mushrooming Make sure you taste some of the region's other gourmet delights, including mussels, salmon, cherries, garlic, walnuts and olives.

Maori wine

Marlborough is also the home of Tohu Wines, New Zealand's first Maori-owned and branded wine producer. They have made an impressive start, penetrating several overseas markets and winning a gold medal for chardonnay at the 2003 Air New Zealand Wine Awards.