Safeguarding Marlborough
Appellation Marlborough Wine has tightened its certification criteria, putting in place minimum brix at harvest and new geographical boundaries for wines wearing the AMW icon.
With 50 years and around 30,000 hectares under its belt, the region has identified growing areas with distinct microclimates and stylistic features, says John Buchanan, AMW chair.
"And the Wine Map of Marlborough represents the first genuine attempt to map these in a detailed way."
AMW is a member-led organisation established in 2018 to protect the integrity, authenticity and brand value of wines produced within its region.
The map project was driven by the Marlborough Wine Map Collective, a team of five AMW members including Simon Waghorn of Astrolabe, Matt Thomson and Sophie Parker-Thomson MW of Blank Canvas, Ivan Sutherland of Dog Point, Brian Bicknell of Mahi and Brendan Neylon of Rapaura Springs.
"We robustly debated and defined the current subregional hierarchy of Marlborough," says Matt.
The resulting map is "a vital resource in understanding the subregional detail and diversity of Marlborough," says John. "We look forward to making it available to a wider audience, including industry colleagues, wine educators, and engaged consumers."
