Hawke’s Bay, located on the eastern coast of New Zealand’s North Island, is the country’s second-largest wine region and its oldest. Renowned for its warm, dry maritime climate, the region is particularly well-suited to producing high-quality red and white wines with distinctive character and balance.

While Hawke’s Bay is generally warm with plenty of sunshine, it is moderated by coastal breezes that help preserve acidity in the grapes and extend the growing season. The region’s varied soils—ranging from gravelly riverbeds to clay and limestone—offer excellent drainage and contribute to the complexity of the wines. The famous Gimblett Gravels sub-region, in particular, is prized for its free-draining alluvial soils ideal for premium red varieties.

Hawke’s Bay excels with Bordeaux-style reds, especially Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc, often blended to create structured, elegant wines with dark fruit, spice, and earthy undertones. Syrah is another standout, producing refined, peppery wines with floral aromatics.

Chardonnay is the leading white variety, known for its richness, stone fruit flavours, and balanced oak use. Aromatic whites like Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris also thrive, offering vibrant, fruit-driven expressions with refreshing acidity.

Chardonnay is one of the world’s most popular and versatile white grape varieties, originating from the Burgundy region of France. It is a relatively adaptable vine, thriving in a range of climates and soil types, making it widely planted across the globe. Chardonnay ripens early to mid-season and is known for its ability to express terroir, as well as respond well to a variety of winemaking techniques, including oak ageing and malolactic fermentation.

Today, Chardonnay is grown in nearly every major wine-producing country. In France, it shines in Burgundy’s Chablis (crisp, mineral-driven) and Côte de Beaune (rich, complex), and is also a key component of Champagne. In the New World, regions like California, Australia (Yarra Valley, Margaret River), New Zealand, and Chile produce diverse expressions, ranging from lean and citrusy to full-bodied and buttery.

Cool-climate Chardonnays tend to show green apple, lemon, and flinty notes, while warmer regions yield riper flavours like tropical fruit, peach, and melon. Oak-aged Chardonnays may exhibit vanilla, toast, and nutty characteristics, while unoaked versions highlight freshness and purity of fruit.

This remarkable flexibility makes Chardonnay a favourite among winemakers and wine lovers alike, offering a wide spectrum of styles and flavours.