Wineries - Blenheim Marlborough

Their first wines were only produced in 1994, but Saint Clair Family Estate has a growing reputation as one of New Zealand’s leading wine companies with an exceptional quality record.

Saint Clair Family Estate produce a wide range of varieties, including Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Syrah, available in four ranges of wines – the Reserve Range, the Pioneer Blocks, the Premium Range and Vicar’s Choice.

Allan has nearly 40 years in the wine business, which makes him one of the most experienced people in Marlborough when it comes to growing, making and marketing wine. When Allan and his wife Catherine decided to settle here in 1973, (Cathy is a fifth generation Marlburian) Allan took a job with Montana working in their new vineyards.

In 1980 he was head-hunted by Corbans to oversee the establishment of their Marlborough vineyards. He soon became their Senior Viticultural Manager, which not only gave him responsibility for the company’s entire national grape intake, but led him to become part of the winemaking team.

All this stood him in good stead for the family’s foray into winemaking. Back then, there weren’t any boutique wineries to speak of in Marlborough. In 1975 Allan and Catherine purchased a block of land and got into contract growing. Then, when the first independent winemakers started to emerge in Marlborough, Allan and Catherine were in a position to become a part of this new era in New Zealand’s wine industry.

In 1990, they launched Allan Scott Wines. Allan remembers it well. “We were one of a small number who made up the first wave of the independents.” The Allan Scott winery has seen some changes since then. Over the 25 years since its inception, the winery has evolved to keep ahead of the changing demands from the market.

Situated on the Orchard Vineyard we converted a fruit packing house to our winery in time for the 2009 vintage. You will find no receival bin here - our grapes are hand harvested and hand sorted across a table. Mixing the modern with the traditional, we have small stainless steel tanks among traditional Burgundian puncheons, French cuves and French oak barriques for ageing.

‘A modern take on tradition’ sums up our winemaking philosophy, making authentic wine is very important to us, as well as making the best wines we can. We try and pick grapes on ‘fruit’ days, in accordance with the biodynamic calendar, and thereafter we choose fruit days to work with these wines. We find this works with the rhythm of nature and makes better wine. We allow natural yeasts the ability to do their thing wherever possible and we use sulfur sparingly and bottle with minimal fining and filtration.

Embodying the old world philosophy of oak supporting fruit in wine we use a range of traditional oak vessels. For example, we use puncheons for our white wines and for some of our Central Otago Pinot Noir to express the floral characters of the fruit. Our wines are released when they are ready, or as the French say éleve, which means we allow the wines to mature.

Drylands is one of New Zealand’s first wineries to produce vibrant and zesty Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand’s famous Marlborough region on the South Island.

The Drylands Home Block vineyard is located in Marlborough’s esteemed Golden Triangle area. It is one of Marlborough’s original Sauvignon Blanc vineyards, planted on its own roots in 1980, back when the now world-renowned wine region was just developing. Revered for its vines’ natural state of equilibrium, Home Block is one of only two original plantings in Marlborough that remain intact today.

Wairau River (pronounced why-row) produces wines exclusively sourced from our family estate vineyards first established in 1978 by Phil & Chris Rose.

Hand tended in small batches from vine to bottle, low crops and ultra ripe fruit are utilised to produce premium wine that has become renowned for exhibiting intense fruit characteristics and classical elegance.

With nine estate vineyards of around 700 acres, Wairau River Wines can maintain total commitment to quality by carefully managing these sites to keep yields low and quality high.

The extended Rose family are all heavily involved in the business – so we are a true family owned and managed winery.

Hunter’s Wines have won more than 165 gold medals at national and international wine competitions and we're still breaking new ground with new varietals, new wine-making techniques and consistently seeking the best for our wines.Still family-owned, we're nurturing the next generation of Hunter's winemakers ensuring we'll be around for years to come.