Feature | Martinborough
Martinborough Plus ça change… Martin Gillion looks at what has changed in Martinborough and what is still much as it was.
T
he 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
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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2021
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.
