Marlborough: Its long days of sunshine, crisp mornings, towering mountain ranges, meandering riverbeds and the sunken valleys of the Marlborough Sounds, glistening with crisp, emerald green waters.

If Marlborough came in a flavour there’s no doubt it would be Sauvignon Blanc, the wine that put the region on the map more than 30 years ago. 

We’re preparing to celebrate this crisp, zesty, aromatic wine, one that is quintessentially Marlborough, with International Sauvignon Blanc Day on May 6.

Home to 75% of New Zealand’s harvested sauvignon blanc grapes, what is it about Marlborough that makes it such a fantastic producer of sauvignon blanc?

Situated at the north-eastern tip of the South Island, and also home to one fifth of New Zealand’s entire coast line, Marlborough is prone to a maritime climate with free draining soils and importantly, plenty of sunshine.

The region was known as a landscape of abundance long before shooting to fame as New Zealand's wine capital; for many decades home to orchards upon orchards of fresh fruit, alongside vegetables and of course, seafood, sheep, beef, and even high country game.

It’s the warm, dry characteristics that made the region so good for farming and producing quality fruit and vegetables that also made it great for growing wine.

Long, hot summer days followed by cooler nights allow for prime ripening, without the loss of acidity in the fruit, which is exactly what makes Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc distinctive.

The region’s climate was first identified as being ideal for wine production in the 1970s by Montana’s Frank Yukich and viticulturist Wayne Thomas, before Ernie Hunter won gold at London’s Sunday Times Vintage Festival in 1986 with Hunter’s Fumé Blanc in the best non-chardonnay category.

Marlborough’s winemakers continue to develop Sauvignon Blanc’s distinctive style, often described as ‘green’, zingy in nature and associated with passionfruit, gooseberry and freshly cut herbs.

While some stick to the path well forged with traditional, low-temperature, stainless steel ferment methods that aim to maximise fruit potential, others have been pushing the boundaries with oak and wild yeast ferments to mix things up a bit.

Sipped alongside a plate of Marlborough fish or shellfish, a chicken salad or a beautiful cheese platter, you’ve essentially got Marlborough in a glass, and we can’t help but feel it tastes a little like summer.

Will you be raising a toast this International Sauvignon Blanc Day? Join us online using the hashtags #sauvblancday #winemarlborough and #nzwine.