The Marlborough Wine Exhibition

Early Heritage and Government Vision

Marlborough's viticulture began in 1873 when David Herd planted 0.4 hectares of Brown Muscat at Auntsfield, producing a red port-style wine until his death in 1905. The original cellar was restored in the 2010s, and a statue of Herd now stands at Blenheim Airport.

Official interest grew in January 1897, when the Department of Agriculture published an article on viticulture. By 1904, the Government Viticulturist reported that local wines compared favourably with imported European vintages, and called for regulation against adulterated wine - a vision for genuine regional production that would take seventy years to realise.

The Modern Expansion and Global Rise

In August 1973, Montana Wines (now Pernod Ricard) planted the first large-scale vineyards at Brancott, overcoming early drought losses with wax cones and then potted vines. A legal battle by growers Chris and Phil Rose in 1975-78 opened the Rapaura district to viticulture. Irishman Ernie Hunter won three consecutive gold medals in London from 1986; his wife Jane later received an OBE and CNZM. The Awatere Valley saw its first vines in 1986.

Marlborough's climate - warm days, cool nights, free-draining soils - proved ideal for Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Cloudy Bay's 1985 vintage launched the region's international reputation, triggering an export boom that grew vineyard area from 1,744 hectares in 1992 to over 22,600 by 2012, with Sauvignon Blanc now accounting for three-quarters of plantings. Today, Marlborough produces more than 75% of New Zealand's wine and about 80% of its exports.

Gallery Collections and Exhibition Credits

The Wine Exhibition brings this history to life with rare and iconic wines, vintage vineyard tools, hand-operated presses, laboratory equipment, and barrel cooperage. Interactive displays, oral histories, and archival photographs trace the evolution of local brands and the people behind them.

Curated by Dr Adam Friend - a scientist and viticulture expert - and designed by Sally Papps, with project management by Virginia Watson, the exhibition is supported by grants from Marlborough District Council, Marlborough Lines, and The Lotteries Commission. Major sponsors include Hunter's Wines, Auntsfield, Yealands, Jackson Estate, Nautilus, Wither Hills, Forrest, Lawson's Dry Hills, Fromm, Villa Maria, and many more. We gratefully acknowledge the donations and volunteer work of John Rainey, Belinda Vavasour, Jenny Pierson, Pam and Tom Woodward, and the Marlborough Historical Society.