Winemaking in NZ

◼︎Why We Make Wine in NZ

In parallel with making wine in Japan, MARO Wines has also been making wine in New Zealand since 2023.

There are two main reasons for making wine.
Firstly, we simply want everyone to enjoy wines in the MARO Wines style, made with high-quality local grapes.
NZ has a climate and soil uniquely suited to viticulture, resulting in grapes with high ripeness that reflect the terroir, and are less prone to disease. We want to use these grapes to make delicious wines that MARO Wines envisions and deliver them to everyone. We believe this also contributes to the future of Japanese wine culture.

And the other reason is that "there is no end to learning as a winemaker, and having your own brand doesn't mean the learning stops." In NZ, where wine culture is far more vibrant than in Japan, we continuously update our winemaking knowledge and experience, drawing inspiration from winemakers around the world every year.

The desire is to transcend the division between Japanese wine and imported wine, and for everyone to enjoy delicious MARO Wines style wines within a broader context.

Incidentally, I have been to New Zealand for training twice in the past, and it is thanks to those connections that I am able to make wine there.

◼︎Winemaking Location

Photo: "NZ Wine Specialist BOKUMO WINE"

MARO Wines produces wine at Greystone Wines, located in the Waipara district of North Canterbury.

It is a reputable winery that has previously been named Winery of the Year and is highly trusted locally (unfortunately, it is not imported into Japan).

We are borrowing their facilities to make wine from 2023 to 2025.

We purchase grapes from local farmers, operating in a "no vineyard, no winery" style. (While not common in Japan, this style is by no means rare in NZ.)

◼︎Terroir

Photo: "NZ Wine Specialist BOKUMO WINE"

North Canterbury has a dry climate with abundant sunshine, as the Southern Alps block rain and wind from the west.
Wineries are primarily concentrated in the northern part, especially in the Waipara Valley (G.I.), where internationally renowned wineries such as Pegasus Bay, Black Estate, and Pyramid Valley, in addition to Greystone Wines, are located.
The most distinctive feature of North Canterbury is its "complex soil."
It boasts a unique mosaic of intertwined greywacke (hard sandstone), gravel, limestone, and clay, unlike any other area in NZ.
Utilizing the characteristics of each soil type, (in order of largest cultivation area)
Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay
are cultivated.

MARO Wine makes wine from Pinot Noir and
Riesling grown here in North Canterbury.

◼︎Riesling

We use Riesling from Tussock Terrace, where the temperature fluctuates greatly throughout the day in its gravelly soil. The vines are over 20 years old. Riesling grown in this area is characterized by tight, elegant acidity and minerality.
While Riesling in NZ is often made in a sweet style with residual sugar, MARO Wines intentionally produces a dry style that pairs well with food.

We prioritize balance so that the acidity doesn't overpower, and we carefully craft the wine to preserve the elegant character typical of Riesling.

One element that contributes to the richness that stands up to the acidity is "botrytized grapes."
They bring complexity and a long finish to MARO Wines Riesling.

◼︎Isolated Hill Pinot Noir

As the name suggests, the vineyard is located on a hillside slope in an isolated hill with nothing but limestone quarries around it.
The soil, formed by basaltic soil over calcareous limestone clay due to an earthquake, is a calcium-rich clay and silty loam, similar to Burgundy in France, making it nutrient-rich.

The vines are over 20 years old.
While many Pinot Noirs made locally tend to be full-bodied with thorough extraction, we are challenging ourselves with a winemaking method similar to that in Hokkaido, intentionally avoiding over-extraction.

This Pinot Noir possesses a delicate body with an underlying strength, characterized by the distinctive acidity derived from the calcareous soil.

For this wine, in particular, we highly recommend comparing it with Japanese Pinot Noir.