Hawkes Bay Wine - page 5

Hawkes Bay is located on the east coast of the North Island in and around the cities of Napier and Hastings. The region's varied and complex mesoclimate and soil patterns make it one of the most versatile wine producing regions in New Zealand. One of the main climatic features that contributes to the distinct character of Hawkes Bay wines is the long sunshine hours which is often reflected in the style of wines produced, mostly described as full-bodied and with plenty of mouth-filling characters.

Over the years, the region has won international acclaim for the extremely high quality Bordeaux style reds and full-bodied Chardonnays. Another grape variety that is thought to have a great potential here is Syrah.

Any mention of Hawkes Bay would be incomplete without the mention of 'Gimblett Gravels', a terroir comprising of shingle soils and warm temperatures that are particularly suitable to grow the Bordeaux red varieties.