Northland| Auckland| Waikato/Bay of Plenty| Gisborne| Hawkes Bay| Wellington/Wairarapa| Nelson| Malborough| Canterbury/Waipara Valley| Central Otago|

• The region is on the western side of the country near the northern tip of the South Island
• Mountains to the west of the region provide a rain shadow effect while coastline helps to moderate temperature extremes
• Gets significantly more rainfall than the neighboring dry Marlborough
• Grape varieties that respond to cooler growing conditions are most popular here
• Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Noir account for over 80% of the region’s vineyard area
• The Moutere Hills have loamy clay soil, and the soil on the sunny Waimea Plains is rocky (the wines differ depending on the soil)