Wairau Valley
The Wairau Valley is a sub-region of Marlborough on the northeast portion of New Zealand's South Island. Notably, it benefits from the region's greatest number of sunshine hours, which results in excellent ripeness in the Sauvignon Blanc and Pinor Noir grapes that dominate plantings. In a nod to the sun-drenched terrain, the indigenous Maori people refer to Wairau as "Kei puta te Wairau," which means "place with the hole in the roof."