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The Auckland wine region, surrounding the country's largest city of the same name, is home to some of the largest wine producers in New Zealand, although a lot of the grapes are sourced from other parts of the country.
It has many sub-regions: Henderson, Kumeu and Huapai are the main winemaking districts of the region, located to the north-west of the city centre. Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf is a newer addition to the vineyard and winery scene in Auckland; vines were planted in the 1980s, and the island is particularly known for high-quality red wines. Matakana sits 42 miles (67km) north-east of the main city and has developed a reputation for Cabernet Sauvignon wines, and other varieties such as Pinot Gris and Pinotage. In rolling farmland approximately 25 miles (40km) south-east of Auckland city, Clevedon has the region's newest vineyard plantings and producers.
Auckland has a rather humid climate due to its coastal location and high rainfall, which makes grape growing a challenge. But the region also experiences sufficiently warm temperatures during the growing season, which assists in the production of some high-quality (especially in the Bordeaux style) Cabernet Sauvignons and complex Chardonnays. The soil is shallow clay over hard silt and clay subsoils, or sandy loams. The bedrock is up to 250 million years old and many of the sites are planted on heavy clays with low natural drainage.
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