The country’s sunshine capital

The country’s sunshine capital

These days, when it comes to New Zealand’s South Island wine, it tends to be the ‘noisy neighbours’ down the road in Marlborough who get most of the attention and headlines. But Nelson, right at the northernmost tip of the island, has several natural advantages.

The Moutere Hills, where the Seifrieds planted their first vines, offer a combination of maritime influence with the protection of their rugged slopes and the diversity of terroirs they inculcate, allowing for numerous different grapes to ripen in ideal sites. Diversity of soils also plays a role – compared to the stonier, more alluvial Waimea, to the south, the Moutere Valley is largely characterised by gravel-threaded clay, producing a richness and texture distinct from the lighter freshness of Waimea. As Seifried has grown, the family has planted vines across both subregions, exploiting their differences to maximise the potential of every variety they work with.

Though it might be cool by global wine standards, the influence of the coast and the protection of the hills maintain a temperate climate. And then there’s Nelson’s secret weapon: sunshine. With over 2,400 sunshine hours per year, Nelson is New Zealand’s sunniest region. Combined with the cooling impacts of the maritime air, that extraordinary level of sunshine fosters a dovetail of complete fruit ripeness with extraordinary varietal purity and intense aromatics – the Nelson signature.