When the wind tastes of grapefruit: Marlborough and the Sauvignon Blanc that rewrote global tastes

At the top of New Zealand’s South Island, Marlborough turned Sauvignon Blanc into a global shorthand: vivid, reliable, export-ready. From the first vines planted in 1973 to Cloudy Bay’s breakthrough, the region’s climate, subregions and SWNZ sustainability framework show how one aromatic style helped reshape the worldwide white-wine market.