Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc producer with Awatere, Wairau Valley and selected Seaview Vineyard fruit.
The producer
Yealands Wines is associated with Marlborough and works from a coastal estate with rolling hills, native wildlife, coastal winds and ocean spray. Peter Yealands planted his first vineyard in Grove Town in 1998 at age 50. The winery opened on 8 August 2008 with Toitū carbonzero certification from inception. The wines include Sauvignon Blanc from Awatere and Wairau Valley vineyards, along with a Reserve made from selected Seaview Vineyard parcels.
Known for
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and sustainability
Notable facts
In 2002, a crew of three developed 150 hectares of vineyard over eight months.
Yealands became known for using short Babydoll sheep during the growing season because they could not reach the shoots.
Yealands merged with Ager Sectus in 2011 to form Yealands Wine Group.
Yealands Sauvignon Blanc 2024 draws fruit from Awatere and Wairau Valley vineyards.
The story
The 08.08.08 Opening
On 8 August 2008, Yealands opened the doors to its custom built winery. The date was 08.08.08, and the building had been completed in 2007. The opening came in the year of the global financial crisis. From inception, the winery was Toitū carbonzero certified. Yealands presents sustainability as central to its business, so the opening date and certification arrived together. The winery began operating with carbonzero certification already in place, on 8 August 2008.
From the atlas
Yealands Wines
Yealands Wines is associated with Marlborough, where a coastal estate and Sauvignon Blanc wines meet a business built around sustainability.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Place association
Marlborough, New Zealand
Featured grape
Sauvignon Blanc
Defining feature
Sustainability is central to the business
Winery
Custom built winery opened on 8 August 2008 and Toitū carbonzero certified from inception
The Producer
At 50, Peter Yealands planted his first vineyard in Grove Town, Marlborough, in 1998. He developed a 300 hectare vineyard in Northbank in 2000 and later sold it to Matua. In 2023, the Yealands vineyard exceeded 1,000 hectares, with another 200 hectares in development.
Yealands merged with Ager Sectus in 2011 to form Yealands Wine Group. Ager Sectus owned Crossroads and The Crossings. In 2015, Marlborough Lines paid NZ$89 million for an 80% stake in Yealands Wine Group. In July 2018, Marlborough Lines acquired Peter Yealands' remaining shares, and he resigned as a director.
Place
Yealands is associated with Marlborough, New Zealand. Its coastal estate setting includes rolling hills, native wildlife, coastal winds and ocean spray. Sauvignon Blanc is the grape at the centre of the wines described here, bringing citrus, herbal and tropical notes in the bottle.
Wines
Yealands Sauvignon Blanc 2024 is 100% Sauvignon Blanc and draws fruit from Awatere and Wairau Valley vineyards. The parcels were fermented separately with selected yeasts, then blended, stabilized and filtered before bottling.
Yealands Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is also 100% Sauvignon Blanc, made from selected parcels in Seaview Vineyard. The grapes were gently pressed and fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks with selected yeasts.
Yealands Estate Single Block S1 Sauvignon Blanc 2024 is Sauvignon Blanc with gooseberry, elderflower, grapefruit flavour, crisp acidity and a lime zest finish.
Final Word
Yealands Wines joins a coastal Marlborough estate, Sauvignon Blanc from named vineyard sources, and sustainability at the centre of the business.