Getting Down and Dirty
The unique terroir of the Marlborough region features a variety of soil compositions. These vary from alluvial free-draining, to a more clay/loam soil as found in the Southern Valleys or a silt/loam combination as located nearer to the ocean. Our sunny but relatively cool climate makes it ideal for producing our top quality Marlborough Sun wine with its classic zesty flavours.
If we get down to the nitty gritty of it, the soil has many parts to play in the production of wine. Not only does it provide an anchor for the vines but also enough water and nutrients for them to produce grapes that ripen just in time for harvest every year around March.
Alluvial soil is a mixture of various types of soils such as clay, silt, sand and gravel and is deposited over many years by running water. Because it has been carried by water, this type of soil is known to be very fertile and ideal for planting grapes.