When I wrote a story about the embryonic New Zealand wine industry in the early 1990s, the wine grape most grown at that time was the obscure and now almost forgotten Muller Thurgau.
Ove the past four decades New Zealand has emerged as a globally respected producer of, particularly, sauvignon blanc and pinot noir.
Wine from New Zealand is exported to over 100 countries, the 2025 annual New Zealand Winegrowers report shows. New Zealand produces just over 1% of the world’s wine and New Zealand wine exports for 2024 were worth $NZ 2.1 billion.
Wineries including Montana (now Brancott Estate), Cloudy Bay, Villa Maria and Babich paved the way, along with Nautilus Estate, which this month is marking its 40th anniversary.
Nautilus began its journey in what is New Zealand’s premier wine region, Marlborough, in 1985, a time at a time when fewer than 80 wineries operated across the entire country.
It remains a family-owned operation (albeit an Australian family in the Hill-Smiths), intentionally boutique in scale and committed to producing wines that are 100% Marlborough - with sub-regions and single sites forming an essential part of the winery's story.
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Under the stewardship of award-winning winemaker Clive Jones for more than 30 years, Nautilus helped pioneer méthode traditionnelle in the region and exploring varieties like albariño and pinot gris.
"Our focus has been simple yet unwavering: to craft expressive, textural wines that showcase Marlborough's unique terroir," said Jones.
"Every bottle reflects the precision, balance and natural beauty found in our namesake, the Nautilus shell, nature's perfect spiral that represents the harmony we strive for in every vintage."
Today, Nautilus Estate is known for wines including its sauvignon blanc, chardonnay from the Renwick vineyard and pinot noir from Clay Hills.
To mark its 40th anniversary, Nautilus Estate partnered with Gowings Restaurant at QT
Sydney to showcase the family winery's philosophy of crafting wine with food pairing in mind.
The celebration also previewed the upcoming 2025 vintage release of Nautilus Estate Sauvignon
Blanc, Marlborough's famed variety.
"The 2025 vintage displays intense lifted aromas of lemongrass, fresh blackcurrant buds and
ripe grapefruit," says Jones. "The palate introduces delightful lime zest flavours with mouth-
watering intensity, finishing with a strong textural component."
See www.nautilusestate.com
"Our focus has been simple yet unwavering: to craft expressive, textural wines that showcase Marlborough's unique terroir," said Jones.
"Every bottle reflects the precision, balance and natural beauty found in our namesake, the Nautilus shell, nature's perfect spiral that represents the harmony we strive for in every vintage."
Today, Nautilus Estate is known for wines including its sauvignon blanc, chardonnay from the Renwick vineyard and pinot noir from Clay Hills.
To mark its 40th anniversary, Nautilus Estate partnered with Gowings Restaurant at QT
Sydney to showcase the family winery's philosophy of crafting wine with food pairing in mind.
The celebration also previewed the upcoming 2025 vintage release of Nautilus Estate Sauvignon
Blanc, Marlborough's famed variety.
"The 2025 vintage displays intense lifted aromas of lemongrass, fresh blackcurrant buds and
ripe grapefruit," says Jones. "The palate introduces delightful lime zest flavours with mouth-
watering intensity, finishing with a strong textural component."
See www.nautilusestate.com
Here is a link to my 1993 story in the Los Angeles Times: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-08-22-mn-26308-story.html
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