Why it matters
The producer
In 1986, a bottle of Hunter's Fumé Blanc won The Sunday Times Vintage Festival in the United Kingdom, placing a winery that had existed for barely seven years onto an international shortlist. When Ernie and Jane Hunter planted their first vines in 1979, Marlborough's claim to serious winemaking was still being formed. Within two vintages, every wine they produced took a prize at the National Wine Show. The Fumé Blanc win was the confirmation that the region's style could travel.
Hunter's now farms over 80 hectares across Marlborough and remains independently owned. Of all the vineyards established in the region during the 1970s, it is the only one still held by its original family.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Marlborough sits at the northern tip of New Zealand's South Island, where long summer days and cool nights preserve the acidity and aromatic intensity that make Sauvignon Blanc from this region distinct. The Wairau and Awatere valleys drive the region's character: high light exposure, dry growing conditions, and a diurnal temperature range wide enough to slow ripening and keep the grapes' natural brightness intact. Hunter's draws fruit from vineyards across Marlborough, with the Waihopai Valley among its sources.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
The estate has grown from a few hectares at founding to over 80 across Marlborough. Hunter's operates as a sustainable vineyard, applying best practice environmental management across its holdings. The range covers Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Riesling, each sourced from Marlborough fruit.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range centres on three white wines. Sauvignon Blanc is the estate's signature bottle and the one most closely tied to its history. It draws on Marlborough's cool-climate aromatics, with the 2025 vintage showing a bouquet of ripe citrus and tropical fruits alongside floral and soft lees notes. Chardonnay and Riesling extend the range into richer and more mineral directions respectively, with Riesling in particular reflecting the bright natural acidity Marlborough's climate preserves in slower-ripening varieties.
Across the three whites, Hunter's works with Marlborough's characteristic brightness. The Sauvignon Blanc carries ripe citrus alongside tropical fruit and a floral lift, with soft lees contact adding texture as the wine opens. The Riesling brings taut acidity and citrus-driven aromatics; Marlborough's diurnal swings keep the variety's crispness intact. Chardonnay takes on more weight, with the region's generous sunshine filling out the mid-palate in a style that is broader than the Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
Start with the Sauvignon Blanc. It is the bottle the estate built its name on: Marlborough fruit, ripe citrus and tropical aromatics, a floral note on the nose, and lees contact that softens the finish without dulling the acidity. The 2025 vintage shows how the wine evolves in texture across the palate rather than cutting straight through. Riesling and Chardonnay add range and reward exploration, but the Sauvignon Blanc is where the estate's four decades of Marlborough work are most directly tasted.