Marlborough Sub-Regions with Marcus Pickens

This show was published Friday, October 30, 2026

Overview

Marcus Pickens explains how Marlborough is organised and how its sub-regions differ, from the Wairau and Southern Valleys to the Awatere and South Coast, covering soils, climate and why pick dates can vary by weeks.

Marcus is General Manager of the regional body for Marlborough’s grape growers and winemakers. He untangles the many industry groups with Chris Scott and traces how the region grew from the 1970s.

Topics: the levy and regional bodies, why the Wairau holds about 70 percent of plantings, the cooler Southern Valleys, the windy Awatere and the far South Coast.

The best story: a short drive across the valley can shift picking by a week or two, and a harvester heading to the South Coast crawls along at 10 kilometres an hour.

Host: Chris Scott
Guest: Marcus Pickens, Marlborough regional wine body

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Music

The music used for the UK Wine Show is Griffes de Jingle 1 by Marcel de la Jartèle and Silence by Etoile Noire.