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Hawke’s Bay is located on the east coast of the North Island in and around the cities of Napier, Hastings and Havelock North. It sits at a latitude of 39.4 degrees south, the equivalent of Madrid in the Northern Hemisphere.
The region's varied, complex mesoclimate and soil patterns make it one of the most versatile wine-producing regions in New Zealand. Its maritime climate contributes to the distinct character of Hawke’s Bay wines. The long sunshine hours are often reflected in the style of wines produced, mostly described as full bodied and with plenty of mouth-filling characters.
Hawke’s Bay is one of New Zealand’s oldest wine regions, dating back to 1851, and in 2010 was New Zealand’s second-largest wine region and the largest premium red-wine producer in the country.
Over the years, the region has won international acclaim for its extremely high-quality Bordeaux-style reds and full-bodied Chardonnays. Another grape variety thought to have great potential here is Syrah, produced in a classic European style with strong black-pepper flavors.
Hawke’s Bay vineyards are planted on a range of soil types, from deep, free-draining gravel to heavier silts and loams. Any discussion of Hawke’s Bay would be incomplete without mentioning Gimblett Gravels, a terroir comprising shingle soils and warm temperatures that are particularly suited to growing Bordeaux Blend varietals. The gravels were laid down by a river, the Ngaruroro, which changed its course after a flood in 1867.
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