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Frank Yukich placing a silver coin in the hole as the traditional token of good fortune for the new vine. Photo Credit: Marlborough Heritage Trust - Marlborough Archives.
Wine journalist Tessa Nicholson has spent more than 25 years writing about Marlborough's wine industry, crafting countless stories about the people, places, innovations and challenges that have made the region famous.
Now, to mark 50 years since Montana planted the first commercial vines in Marlborough, she has written a book to share the travails and triumphs of the industry.
Fifty Years, Fifty Stories; Marlborough the region that turned the wine world upside down, covers everything from those first plantings to the impacts of Covid nearly half a century later, including profiles of some of the region's pluckiest pioneers.
Tessa says the past 50 years of stellar success has been driven by those pioneers, including audacious entrepreneurs, resilient growers and curious scientists, all part of a collegial community happy to share its knowledge and innovations.
It's also been driven by the pure good fortune of having a geography, geology and climate that grows incredible wines, including attention grabbing Sauvignon Blanc that propelled Marlborough onto the global wine stage.
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Nestled in the heart of Marlborough’s wine industry, with the likes of Dog Point, Te Whare Ra and Greywacke on its doorstep, Arbour has spent the past nine years delivering extraordinary dishes and a carefully curated selection of wines. Awarded Two Hats by the Cuisine Good Food Awards, which also named it Best Regional Restaurant in New Zealand in 2022, Arbour has attracted the devotion of many in New Zealand’s wine industry. Cofounder and owner Liz Buttimore talks of a labour of love.
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