Skip to main content

Story: Wine

Area planted in wine grapes, 1987 and 2007

  • 1987

  • 2007

During the 1970s and 1980s grape production shifted away from the Auckland–Waikato region, to the east coasts of the North and South islands. Existing vineyards expanded, and new ones were developed on the Gisborne plains and the flat land between Napier and the Heretaunga plains in Hawke’s Bay. Large-scale planting on the Wairau plains in Marlborough began in 1979.

The trend for grape growing to move south and east continued into the 2000s. In 2007 Marlborough contained most of the country’s vineyards. Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne were still important centres of production, and Canterbury and Central Otago had become significant grape-growing regions.

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Bronwyn Dalley, Wine – Foundations for the future, 1960s to mid-1980s, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/18350/area-planted-in-wine-grapes-1987-and-2007 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Bronwyn Dalley, published 1 March 2009.