MARTINBOROUGH

Martinborough Plus ça change…

Martin Gillion looks at what has changed in Martinborough and what is still much as it was.

The French aphorism, plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose, if I trust my rusty schoolboy French, translates roughly as “the more things change, the more they remain the same.”

It’s a thought that well fits Martinborough in the 21st century, but perhaps in reverse. For while many things seem much the same, behind the scenes a lot has changed and as development continues it is unlikely to be la même chose!

While vineyards had been planted by controversial Wellington publisher and wine enthusiast Alister Taylor in 1978, the region owes its viticultural fame to the small band of pioneers who, were guided by the 1979 report of Dr Derek Milne; a report which compared the region favourably with Burgundy in terms of climate and soils.

Encouraged by the report, a small number of entrepreneurs who came to be known as the ‘Band of Four,’ risked all to plant vines on the finnicky gravel terraces of the Raumahanga and Huangarua Rivers adjacent to the town.

Milne’s own plantings at Martinborough Vineyard were joined by those from Neil McCallum at Dry River, Clive Paton of Ata Rangi and Stan Chifney’s Estate. Alister Taylor’s vineyard was taken over and rejuvenated by Tom Draper who formed a shareholder syndicate to found the Te Kairanga label.

The band worked co-operatively, developing a regional approach and the beginnings of a regional identity. Information and experience was shared and many of the wines were made at Stan Chifney’s winery and ‘subterranean’ cellar.

The subsequent successes of wines from Milne’s own Martinborough Vineyard as well as those from the other early pioneers, encouraged further serious development in the form of Palliser Estate. By the mid 1990s there were more than a dozen, smaller family owned ventures such as Nga Waka, Voss, Muirlea Rise, Blue Rock and Lintz.

While the pioneers and later winemakers planted the vines of both Burgundy and Bordeaux as well as varieties most associated with Alsace (Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer and Riesling) Pinot Noir became the star of the region’s portfolio.

The Martinborough Vineyards’ Pinot Noirs, made by Larry McKenna in 1984,1985 and 1986, gained both national and international acclaim. The 1993,1994 and 1999 Pinot Noirs from Ata Rangi won the IWSC Bouchard-Finlayson trophies in London and the exquisite Pinot Gris and Riesling wines from Dry River added a further dimension to the region’s character.

Martinborough had arrived on both the national and international radar.

With the opportunity to taste premium wines from an increasing number of more personalised wineries, the region soon became beloved of the ‘Wellington Weekenders’ who braved the short but slightly challenging drive across the Remutaka Range to visit the characterful town and the wide range of winery attractions it offered. On arrival it was an easy stroll from one to another.

The town’s historic buildings at the village centre were rejuvenated and quaint houses and historic-ish cottages were spruced up to accommodate the Wellingtonian invasions.

It was said at the time that anyone offering a cottage for week-end rent, with both charm, atmosphere and a claw-footed bath (for two), was able to name their price.

And that’s still generally true.

These days it is difficult to find a park in the centre of the town on a Saturday; the boutique fashion stores are doing a good trade, the eating options range from organic cafes to sophisticated lunch venues, and the Martinborough Wine Centre can take you through a wide range of the region’s wines.

Bike riding between destinations has become almost de rigueur especially now that the region has joined the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail that links winery tourismacross three regions, from Hawke’s Bay to Marlborough

Most of the vineyards have welcoming cellar doors for tasting and many have options for fine dining lunches or sophisticated platters. Some of them even have one of those quaint cottages to let and I’m sure the claw footed bath will there somewhere.

In those early days the vineyards were very small even by New Zealand standards. The wineries, also small, were often family owned and the output low. By 1996, After some ten years of self-management Ata Rangi, one of the original ‘band of four’ had undergone some expansion and restructuring but was still producing just 5000 cases. Today, still family owned, it produces 10,000 – 15,000 cases, depending on vintage.

The Wine Bank.

Ata Rangi Winery.

While Martinborough’s winery community has expanded to around 30 producers since those first communal winemaking efforts of the four pioneers, it still remains the smallest regional producer with just 1% of the country’s total production and just .025% of the country’s vineyard plantings.

Yet the region remains the most prestigious producer of high quality Pinot Noir (although Otago and even Marlborough might not quite concur) and the legacy of those early years remains.

So ‘plus ça change’?

Well not quite.

The region has undergone considerable change that is not immediately recognisable to those who throng the town on a sunny Waitangi Day.

Only two of the original ‘band of four’ still control their own family vineyards with Martinborough Vineyards and Dry River now in the hands of US interests as is Tom Draper’s Te Kairanga.

A number of wineries have been established on areas previously disregarded in the early days. Vineyards now stretch the length of Te Muna road to the south east of the town following the lead of the region’s most celebrated doyen of Pinot Noir, Larry McKenna, who planted vines at his Escarpment vineyard in 1999.

Craggy Range, under the stewardship of Steve Smith MW, also planted vines close the junction of Te Muna Road and Hinakura Road on soils previously disparaged. Indeed the most recent 115ha Craggy Range plantings now extend to the far end of Te Muna Rd and they represent the biggest single vineyard holdings in the region.

But there are other changes that are less apparent.

One of them is that despite the Milne report, aligning the region with Burgundy, there is increasing interest in Syrah, the default vine of the Rhône Valley in France.

To be sure the Murdoch James Blue Rock vineyard planted with Syrah in 1999 still remains and has expanded. But several other more ‘Pinot focussed’ wineries have developed an interest in the grape. One of the originals, Martinborough Vineyard, has expanded Syrah plantings and Palliser Estate has Syrah vines producing for the 2023 vintage.

Several of the newer players: Moy Hall, Colombo and Cambridge Road, have Syrah planted, although Pinot remains their main focus.

Most of the winemakers I spoke to about Syrah admitted that their plantings were unlikely to shake the confidence of vintners in either Waiheke or Hawke’s Bay’s Gimblett Gravels!

The influx of smaller producers has seen organic and bio dynamic considerations almost universal and has also seen innovation in such things as the experimental fermentation in egg shaped vessels used at Cambridge Road winery and the stunning matching of Asian inspired food with Martinborough wines by the Wellington Chinese proprietors of Luna Estate.

As well, the growing reputation of both the wines and the tourism potential has attracted interest and investment from off shore.

Martinborough Vineyards, Te Kairanga, Dry River and Nga Waka are owned by wealthy American interests. Craggy Range and Escarpment fly the Australian flag and Urlar in the Gladstone area is Japanese owned. The small boutique venture at Colombo benefits from a Swiss, German and Irish pedigree.

But perhaps the biggest change to Martinborough is yet to come.

Te Kairanga, now a part of the American owned Foley Family Wines, is in the throes of developing a winery, barrel hall, restaurant and tasting room to service the demands of increasing tourism; demands that not only come from those ‘Wellington Weekenders’ but also from wider Kiwi tourism in this time of Covid and closed borders.

In another innovative development the new Te Kairanga site will not only carry the wines of both Foley owned local wineries - ‘TK’ and Martinborough Vineyard - but will also provide a new dimension to visitor experiences with the establishment of the Lighthouse Gin Distillery.

The visitor to Te Kairanga will be able to take tutored tastings of both the wines and the gin and the restaurant will pair both with locally produced food.

But despite the fact that Martinborough remains the focus for most people visiting the area the region is now correctly referred to as The Wairarapa Wine Region which not only takes in a number of wineries in the Gladstone area that are mostly based on similar soils as those in Martinborough, but also some such as Matahiwi, closer to Masterton.

Nearby, in a similar appeal to Martinborough’s colonial ambience, the village of Greytown, half way from Martinborough to Masterton, has built its own reputation as a tourist destination. The main street contains a number of period buildings as well as cafes, restaurants, boutique shopping and even a winery in the centre of town.

Of course, there are the quaint, weekend, character cottages for rent.

And yes! Those claw-footed baths are there as well!

Martin Gillion travelled independently for this article. Poppies is a beautiful venue in Martinborough, offering something completely different and personal. Tasting wines in the environment they are created with the combination of good food , good conversation cannot be beaten.

Bookings are essential with the exception of wine tastings, however for groups of over 10 people please give us a call to find out the best time to visit. 06-306 8473

Poppies Martinborough Tasting Room & Cellar Door

91 Puruatanga Road Martinborough 5711

info@poppiesmartinborough.co.nz www.poppiesmartinborough.co.nz