A stunning new canvas for artisan Kiwi wine producer

Artisan Marlborough wine producer Blank Canvas has upped the ante by announcing the purchase of a spectacular looking nine-hectare vineyard property in the Omaka Valley, in the Southern Valleys sub region.

The vineyard will become the sustainability focused producer's long-awaited home site and will complement fruit sourced from nine existing partner vineyards, whose grapes anchor the Blank Canvas single-vineyard philosophy.

Blank Canvas was founded in 2012 by award-winning international winemaking consultant Matt Thomson and Master of Wine Sophie Parker-Thomson with the vision of crafting world-class wines.

“This is a defining moment in our evolution as we approach vintage number fourteen," says Sophie. "We have dreamt of the perfect home for Blank Canvas from day one and have been actively searching for it over several years. We are delighted that we have finally found it.”

The amphitheatre-shaped hillside vineyard that Blank Canvas will call home was established in 2003 and planted at very high density.

The property offers 360° views across the Wairau Valley.

The company plans substantial phased investment and careful development to realise the site’s full potential.

Winemaker Matt Thomson, who has completed an even split of 66 harvests over 33 years in Europe and New Zealand, says: “Site drives style. In the Old World, the best sites typically grow one or at most two varieties.

"In the New World we often try to force many varieties into one terroir, frequently with mediocre results. This site gives us two complementary terroirs - a cooler east face and a warmer west face - that will allow us to match variety and style to place, which is a founding ethos of Blank Canvas.”

While a small parcel of established pinot noir on the cooler eastern face will remain, Matt and Sophie plan to convert the remainder of the block, currently planted to sauvignon blanc, to varieties better suited to the microclimates created by the differing aspects.

“In New Zealand’s climate and with our high costs of production, it’s important we grow only varieties that are capable of true greatness,” says Matt.

“There is no doubt that nebbiolo, syrah and pinot noir produce some of the world’s greatest wines. These red varieties form a trifecta of great aromatic red wines of the world, and together with our belief in Marlborough chardonnay, we think we can achieve something very special from this extraordinary property.”

Blank Canvas will continue to release single-vineyard wines from its grower partners, while the new vineyard will reinforce the small-batch fine wine program.

The first vintage from the new Blank Canvas vineyard site will be harvested in 2026.

See https://blankcanvaswines.com/ 

Nautilus celebrates 40 years of winemaking

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.

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

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 

Marlborough gets a new gourmet destination for wine lovers

Marlborough - New Zealand's wine capital - has a new tourism destination.

Wine + Food Experience Marlborough is now officially opened in Blenheim's riverside precinct.

The refurbished venue brings together and celebrates more than 50 local wineries and food producers under one roof.

Wine + Food offers visitors personalised wine tastings through WineEmotion automatic dispensers, cellar door experiences, and food offerings including cheese and seafood.

"Our mission with Wine + Food is to enhance the cellar door journey, not replace it," said managing director Lenny O'Connell.

"Wine + Food ensures visitors to Marlborough who are short on time do not miss tasting the expertly crafted premium wine unique to our region.

"We have designed Wine + Food to be a place where locals, businesses, and visitors come together to experience the region's finest, from wines and seasonal cuisine to thoughtfully curated tastings and special events."

Guests receive a WineEmotion card to sample wines at their preferred quantity (a taste, half pour, or full glass) and pace (below).

Custom-built display units feature immersive digital monitors sharing wineries’ brand stories and tasting notes.



With capacity for up to 420 guests, Wine + Food features several private event spaces including tasting rooms for personalised experiences.

There is also a sheltered outdoor terrace with elevated views of the Taylor River and Richmond Ranges, ideal for corporate events, intimate weddings or after-work drinks.

“We’re proud to breathe new life into the former Clubs of Marlborough building and the Wine + Food Experience will soon be complemented by an adjoining restaurant, expected to open shortly, offering lunch and dinner service to complete the culinary journey,” said O'Connell.

In addition to local wines, guests can enjoy beer, gin and whiskey tastings and purchase featured products through the on-site off-licence.

The Wine + Food Experience Marlborough is open daily from 11am to 10pm, welcoming guests after traditional cellar doors have closed.

See https://winefoodmarlborough.co.nz/

New Zealand wine innovator dies

New Zealand winner innovator Peter Yealands has died at the age of 76.

"It's with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of our founder, Peter Yealands," Yealands Wines announced.

"After decades of groundbreaking work and a life dedicated to innovation, Peter leaves a legacy of bold thinking and environmental stewardship. His incredible career spanned construction, engineering, marine farming, agriculture, forestry, and viticulture."

It added: "Peter will be deeply missed, and we’ll continue to be guided by his motto 'Think Boldy, Tread Lightly, and never say it can't be done' in everything we do at Yealands."

I visited Yealands in Marlborough several years ago. He was a force of nature; proud of the use of baby doll sheep in the vineyards, and the use of music to encourage the vines to produce quality grapes.

Yealands, a self-made man who left school at 14, died in Blenheim over the weekend. No cause of death was given.

The winery said: "His curiosity and drive lead him to run many successful businesses in the construction, engineering, forestry, marine farming, agriculture and viticulture sectors.

"Over his extensive career, achievements included obtaining New Zealand’s first marine farming license and pioneering the development of mussel farming in the Marlborough Sounds, setting up Kaiuma Deer Estate, and designing ship buoys and life rafts for the maritime industry.

"In 1998 Peter developed his first vineyard in the Wairau Valley. Two years later, he purchased a block of land in the Awatere Valley and started developing the Yealands Seaview Vineyard.

"At the time, Seaview’s landscape of rugged, undulating terrain and wild coastal winds was considered unsuitable for grape growing, but Peter saw otherwise. 

"In the following years, Peter continued to purchase adjacent farmland to establish what is now one of New Zealand’s largest and most coastal single vineyard sites."

Yealands Estate Winery officially opened for business in 2008 - with a focus on sustainability but Yealands retired in 2018 when the business was taken over Marlbourough Lines.

Yealands Wine Group interim CEO Liam Kelly said: “While Peter hadn’t been involved with Yealands for some time, his legacy lives on in the business built through his inspiring vision and relentless determination.

"A number of our team members worked closely with Peter and still talk fondly about him. We extend our condolences to the family."

Mapping 50 years of wine history in Marlborough

Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) has announced the launch of the Wine Map of Marlborough, a reference tool that delineates the major New Zealand wine growing region for the first time.

The release of the map coincides with the 50th anniversary of the first commercial vineyards being planted in Marlborough. Vineyards now occupying around 30,000 hectares and Marlborough is a global touchpoint for sauvignon blanc. 

Marlborough is home to three-quarters of all wine grape plantings in New Zealand.

“Naturally, sub-regions with distinct microclimates and stylistic features have been identified over this time,” says John Buchanan, AMW chair. 

“The Wine Map of Marlborough represents the first genuine attempt to map these in a detailed way.”

AMW is a member-led organisation established in 2018 to protect the integrity, authenticity and brand value of wines produced within its region.

The map project was driven by the Marlborough Wine Map Collective (MWMC), a team of five AMW members comprising Simon Waghorn of Astrolabe, Matt Thomson and Sophie Parker-Thomson MW of Blank Canvas, Ivan Sutherland of Dog Point, Brian Bicknell of Mahi and Brendan Neylon of Rapaura Springs. 

“We robustly debated and defined the current sub-regional hierarchy of Marlborough,” says Matt Thomson.

Over a two-year period, the ensemble worked in consultation with Wellington-based cartographer Roger Smith of Geographx and local designer Megan Boreham of Eye Catcher Designs.

“The resulting ‘Wine Map of Marlborough’ is a vital resource in understanding the sub-regional detail and diversity of Marlborough,” says Buchanan.

“We look forward to making it available to a wider audience, including industry colleagues, wine educators, and engaged consumers.”

Simon Waghorn adds: “The Marlborough Wine Map is an important step in creating some guidelines and understanding around our variegated region. 

“The Marlborough appellation can not and should not be simplified to the provincial boundary, we must take a lead from pioneering wine regions who’ve defined their land by geology and geography.”

# The Marlborough Wine Map will be available for purchase direct from Appellation Marlborough Wine with profits returned to the Marlborough Wine Map Collective for research and development.