How Marlborough’s Wine Actually Gets Made
Marlborough wine reflects the place where its grapes grow. Long sunshine hours and cool nights shape the region’s wines. Free-draining, stony soils also influence how the vines grow.
So, what happens between harvest and the wine in your glass? Let’s take a closer look at the process. We’ll also show you where you can experience parts of it on a Hop n Grape wine tour.
Harvest: Timing Is Everything
First, winemakers decide when the grapes have reached the right level of ripeness. This decision can have a major impact on the finished wine.
Smaller boutique vineyards may pick their grapes by hand. Larger producers often use mechanical harvesters. These machines gently shake the vines and collect the ripe fruit.
Both methods are common in Marlborough. Ultimately, vineyard size and wine style help determine which method a producer chooses.
Pressing and Fermentation
After harvest, the grapes go through pressing. This process releases the juice while helping protect the delicate aromas found in Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.
Next, fermentation begins. Yeast converts the natural grape sugars into alcohol.
During fermentation, winemakers carefully control the temperature. This helps preserve the fresh, vibrant character that makes Marlborough white wines so distinctive.
Barrel Ageing
Not every wine needs oak. However, barrel ageing can add complexity to wines such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Some premium Sauvignon Blanc styles also benefit from time in oak. Cloudy Bay’s Te Koko provides a well-known Marlborough example.
French oak can add subtle and integrated flavours. American oak tends to create a bolder and sweeter character. Winemakers choose the type of oak based on the style they want to create.
Blending
Blending plays another important role in winemaking. Rather than using wine from one tank, winemakers may combine different vineyard parcels.
They might also blend wine from different vineyard blocks. Each parcel can bring its own flavour, aroma and structure.
By combining these wines, the winemaker can create a more balanced and complex final product. This is where experience and a trained palate really matter.
See It for Yourself
Finally, you can experience parts of this process on our Full Day and Private Wine Tours.
We often include a visit to a working winery. There, you may see parts of the winemaking process firsthand.
On some tours, guests can even taste wine straight from the barrel before bottling. It’s a unique opportunity to experience Marlborough wine in a completely different way.
If you want to explore winemaking beyond the tasting room, our behind-the-scenes wine experiences are ideal.
Book your Marlborough wine tour with Hop n Grape Tours and discover how the region’s wines make their journey from vineyard to glass.
BOOK YOUR WINE TOUR NOW!!! www.hopngrapetours.co.nz