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Marlborough in a minute
- The grapes
- Sauvignon Blanc, with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
- What it tastes like
- Gooseberry, passion fruit, cut grass and lime; loud, fresh and unmistakable.
Good to know
There were no vines here before 1973. Today it grows most of New Zealand’s wine and the world’s best-known Sauvignon.
On the label
Grape and region on the front, always.
What the land costs
The dearest vineyards here are in Marlborough: ≈$158,791–≈$224,440 a hectare (2025). Zone by zone
The business side
Marlborough grows about three-quarters of New Zealand’s vines, nearly all Sauvignon Blanc, on the gravel plains of the Wairau and Awatere valleys. It is unusual in having a published benchmark: the Ministry for Primary Industries values a model vineyard each year. Values peaked in 2023 and have eased as returns were squeezed by a large 2024 crop and softer export prices.
Economics in brief
The 2025 Vineyard Monitoring Report values the model Marlborough vineyard at NZ$283,000 a planted hectare, down from NZ$312,000 in 2023; small, well-placed Sauvignon blocks with a strong cropping history have sold above NZ$400,000. Yields are high (the model vineyard crops around 12–14 tonnes a hectare), grapes are mostly sold under contract to large wineries, and the business is one of volume and consistency rather than scarcity: Marlborough Sauvignon is New Zealand’s biggest export earner in wine by far.
Facts and figures
The numbers behind the region: land, grapes, yields and costs
| Input | Range | Unit | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Land — what a hectare of vineyard sells for | ||||
| Vineyard land, Marlborough (planted, Wairau Plains model)The 2025 model vineyard is valued at NZ$283,000 a planted hectare, down from NZ$312,000… | 283,000–400,000 | NZD/ha | 2025 | Ministry for Primary Industries / New … |
Where the inputs come from
Sources
- Vineyard Monitoring Report, Marlborough 2025, Ministry for Primary Industries / New Zealand Winegrowers, 2025. Retrieved 6 October 2026.
- Marlborough vineyard values remain robust, Colliers New Zealand, 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2026.