Wine regions: Wairarapa/Martinborough

Wairarapa, which includes the Martinborough region, is at the southern end of the North Island about one hour’s drive from the nation’s capital, Wellington. In 2012, Wairarapa had less than 3% of the country’s vines but 9% of its winemakers. They are typically small-scale, lifestyle producers with a quality-at-all-costs attitude to winemaking and a passionate faith in their region’s potential. Pinot Noir occupies half the region’s vineyard area and is undoubtedly the flagship wine. In their quest to make great wine, most producers crop their vines so that yields are considerably below the national average, a significant factor in the region’s success. In terms of topography, climate, and soils, Wairarapa might easily be considered a miniature Marlborough, were it not for the region’s ability to make top-quality reds on a regular basis.