Gisborne does however have a board varietal mix and diversity of wine styles reflecting the different soil types and mesoclimates of the region. Gisborne has a celebrated reputation for Gewürztraminer stemming from the country's first benchmark wines being produced by Matawhero in the 1970's. More recently some fine Semillon and Chenin Blanc wines have been produced and the latest development is the emergence of Pinot Gris and Viognier as varieties with a promising future. Red varieties include vibrant fruity Merlots, Malbec and the re-emergence of Pinotage as a preferred variety.

German winemaker Friedrich Wohnsiedler pioneered commercial winemaking in the Gisborne area, establishing vines at Ormond just outside modern Gisborne. Wohnsiedler released his first wine in 1921, but it wasn’t until the 1970’s that viticulture swept through the Gisborne region. Wohnsiedler’s vineyard and winery in the Waihirere Valley flourished under his care and was eventually bought by Montana.

Today, Gisborne is one of New Zealand's most important grape growing regions, the third largest in the country.

Much of the credit for the Gisborne region’s quality wine must go to Gisborne's high, hot sunshine hours and our clay loam soils. These help produce wines with nuances of melon, peach, grapefruit and passionfruit.

Our tough clay soils are targeted for the richest Chardonnay wines, while vigorous sites are better suited to sparkling wine. Our luscious silts make delicate long-structured Chardonnays.

Gisborne wines have body and finesse, a firmstructure on which to age, and a delicate floral expression to the aroma.