Hawkes Bay

The second-largest wine-growing region in New Zealand is located on the east coast of North Island south of Gisborne. Sub-regions include Gimblett Gravels (an area of around 800 hectares) and Ngatarawa Triangle. The vineyard area totals 4.346 hectares, most of this in the plains on fertile alluvial soils, clay and gravel. The soils are equally suitable for the production of white and red wines. Chardonnay and Merlot are the most widely planted grape varieties, others include Cabermet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah. This is the driest region in the country, with the highest number of sunshine hours, for this reason many vineyards are dependent on irrigation. Well-known producers include Brookfields, Corbans, Craggy Range, Goldwater Estate, Kemblefield, Matariki, Mission Estate, Montana, Morton Estate, Ngatarawa, Nobilo, Sacred Hill, Stonecroft, Te Mata, Trinity Hill, Vidal Estate and Villa Maria.