Soils

There’s Wine in This Earth

The climatic conditions  and soils of the finest grape-growing regions such as in Burgundy, Rheingau and Alsace have long been researched. In 1979 a DSIR report identified a tiny area centred on Martinborough as sharing these qualities.

Plantings are on the free-draining gravels of the river terrace which was formed about 20,000 years ago. The variations in topsoils and topography in these sites offer subtly different expressions of the varietals at harvest.

The winemakers of Martinborough believe passionately in the uniqueness of this mixture of soil and climate and have defined and registered it under the Geopgraphical Indication Act. 

This Geographical Identification protects the use of ‘Martinborough’ by restricting its use to wines produced from grapes grown within the legally defined area.

Martinborough Geographic Indication (GI) – Final Boundary

The final boundary has been determined. The essence of the boundary is that it incorporates the two old county ridings (Martinborough and Otaraia) where they remain within the current Martinborough ward. The excluded sections of the old ridings are: the part of the Martinborough riding west of the Ruamahanga River, which is now in the Greytown ward; some steep hill country close to the Haurangi State Forest Park and a small part of the Otaraia riding, which is now in the Haurangi State Forest Park. The edges of the boundary can be summarised as follows:
 
Northern Boundary

The territorial boundary between Carterton District and the Martinborough Ward of the South Wairarapa District

Eastern Boundary

The old Masterton-Martinborough Road to its juncture with Cannock Road, then that point to the Windy Peak trig station, then the line between trig stations (Windy Peak, AA, Blue Rock No. 3) terminating at the boundary of the Haurangi State Forest Park.
 
Southern Boundary

The boundary of the Haurangi State Forest Park to the point where it intersects a straight line between the Bush Ridge trig station and the corner of the Martinborough-Pirinoa Road and Kahutara Road, then Kahutara Road to its juncture with the Ruamahanga River.

Western Boundary

The Ruamahanga River

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