Hawke‘s Bay is the secondlargest wine region of New Zealand behind Marlborough, but it has a much older winemaking history.
The French missionaries of the Society of Mary planted the first vines and established Mission Vineyards. The enterprise still flourishes in Greenmeadows, making it the only winery founded in the 19th century that remains under the same management. Hawke‘s Bay also has the distinction, in Te Mata Estate, of having the oldest operating winery in the country. The winery, built in 1870, was purchased by John Buck in 1974 and is still in use today.
According to New Zealand Winegrowers, vineyard plantings in Hawke‘s Bay have grown rapidly in the last decade from about 1200 hectares to over 4500 hectares. The region enjoys one of the country‘s sunniest and warmest climates, with low humidity and generally dry weather in autumn making it ideal for lateripening red varieties. Unlike other regions the vineyards are widely distributed throughout a large part of the province.
Consequently there are more than 25 different soil types, and mesoclimates vary considerably between the inland plains, the valleys and the coastal locations. The result is that there are over a dozen distinct subregions with different soils and climates, each imparting characteristics unique to that particular district.
The subregions include:
¬Esk Valley /Bay View
¬Taradale/Meeanee
¬Havelock Hills
¬Te Awanga
¬Heretaunga Plains
¬Gimblett Gravels
¬Roys Hill
¬Fernhill
¬Crownthorpe
¬Mangatahi and
¬Central Hawke‘s Bay around Waipukarau
Hawke‘s Bay produces the widest diversity of wine styles in the country, and is particularly renowned for its worldclass Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrahbased reds, superb Chardonnays, weighty Pinot Gris, Viognier and ripe Sauvignon Blancs. The wine trails of Hawke‘s Bay are among the most interesting in the country to explore, and to do them justice requires an extended visit or several visits.
There is so much to see and do in this lovely region. The food trail is as fascinating as the wine trails, and is equally rewarding and complementary. There is plenty of accommodation available, ranging from bed ¡®n breakfasts to intimate, luxurystandard lodges.
