THE 2021 BETTER HALF PINOT NOIR

 The latest release of The Better Half Pinot Noir is wowing wine lovers and critics alike.

Although The Better Half Pinot has long been enjoyed as a delicious, fruit-flavoured, easy-to-enjoy red wine, the 2021 vintage has taken this fun wine style and ramped the intensity up a notch.

Critics agree that it is the best release yet of this popular wine.

The 2021 Season in Marlborough, NZ

Marlborough’s cool spring, and sunny, dry summer in 2021 provided perfect conditions for growing grapes and produced small bunches of intensely flavoured fruit.

For Pinot Noir, the tiny berries made for a penetrating and delicious wine. The ripe red berry flavours and perfumed floral notes came together nicely as the wine rested in the winery. The finished wine is now available and George is quietly pleased with the resulting drop.

And he’s not the only one!

Bling for The Better Half Pinot Noir 2021

New Zealand’s only Master Sommelier, Cameron Douglas, awarded 92 points to The Better Half Pinot Noir 2021, and described it as “Plush, fruity and dry on the palate with moderately firm tannins and plenty of acidity setting a decent foundation for core fruit flavours.”

Another local reviewer, Sam Kim of Wine Orbit, also gave the wine 92 Points. He stated that “The palate delivers excellent weight and fine texture splendidly complemented by juicy fruit intensity and silky mouthfeel, finishing long and delectable.”

George agrees and feels that the 2021 vintage of The Better Half is one of his best efforts yet: classy and full of flavour, elegant and easy-to-enjoy.

He can’t wait to share a glass of this Marlborough magic with you. Check out your nearest stockist and grab yourself a bottle!

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WHY KIWI BIRDS AND COASTLINES MATTER: HOW TO BE A BETTER COASTAL GUARDIAN

If you think Marlborough is just cellar doors and vineyard picnics, let us introduce you to the wild East Coast — a rugged run of shoreline from Marfells Beach to the Waima/Ure River, where seabirds nest on the foreshore, craggy bluffs glow in late light, and the Pacific stretches on forever.

But here’s the thing: our coast isn’t just stunning. It’s vulnerable. Protecting this stretch of New Zealand coastline is important to George and The Better Half Wine team,  and every visitor can help protect these coastlines and make an important contribution — whether they’re hikers, dog‑walkers, divers – or sunset‑chasers with a wine glass in hand.

 

Today we’re breaking it down into simple, practical ways you can help – it’s easy wins for you, and huge wins for our wildlife.

 

WHY MARLBOROUGH’S EAST COAST NEEDS US

New Zealand’s East Coast, especially the wild stretches of Marlborough, is a hotspot for ground‑nesting shorebirds. The stars of the show include:

  • Banded dotterel — delicate, perfectly camouflaged, and very good at pretending to have a broken wing to lure you away from a nest you can’t see. They nest right on the sand and shingle.
  • Variable oystercatcher / tōrea pango — black plumage, bright orange bill, often patrolling the tide line. (They’re bold, and we love them.)
  • Black‑fronted tern / tarapirohe — a graceful, endangered river‑nesting tern that forages along the coast; ECPG championed it in Bird of the Year 2025 to raise awareness.

Why the extra care? Because nesting season (roughly August–February) is a tough time to be a shorebird: cats, hedgehogs, stoats, off‑leash dogs, and beach vehicles can turn a good season into a disaster. Many of these birds nest right on the beach: tiny scrapes in the shingle, totally invisible to the untrained eye. That means we all have to take extra care when visiting our coastline.

Knowing how to protect New Zealand coastlines means understanding that every small behaviour change helps these species survive.

 

WHO IS PROTECTING MARLBOROUGH’S COASTLINE?

 

The East Coast Protection Group was founded in 2017 by local landowners and conservation‑minded neighbours after they began comparing the lighthouse keepers’ notes and early records of Cape Campbell’s beaches with what they were seeing on the ground — far fewer birds than the “thousands” once described. The 2016 Kaikōura earthquake added a new challenge: uplifted reef platforms that changed sealife habitats and made some beaches easier for vehicles to access, compounding pressures on nesting shorebirds.

 

Since then, The group has protected this stretch of coastline, coordinating predator control, native plantings, monitoring birdlife and breeding success, and facilitating visitor education along roughly 42 km of foreshore from Marfells Beach to the Waima/Ure River. And The Better Half Wines is proud to support this work as a founding sponsor.

 

 

 

How to protect New Zealand Coastlines - The Beautiful Cape Campbell Peninsula
How to protect New Zealand Coastlines - Variable Oystercatchers on Marfell's Beach
How to protect New Zealand Coastlines - Variable Oystercatchers nesting near Cape Campbell
How to protect New Zealand Coastlines - Seabird monitoring and protection near Cape Campbell

FIVE EASY WAYS TO BE A BETTER COASTAL GUARDIAN

Here’s how you can protect New Zealand coastlines without making big changes — just be conscious of these five points on your next beach outing.

 

1. STICK TO FIRM SAND – ESPECIALLY IN NESTING SEASON (Aug-Feb)

Birds like tūturiwhatu/dottrels nest above the high‑tide line. Walking lower on the beach helps avoid crushing eggs hidden in plain sight. Small action, massive impact.

 

2. KEEP DOGS ON LEADS

We love dogs. Birds do not. A single sniff or paw print can destroy a nest. Even well‑behaved dogs are perceived as predators. If you want to know how to protect New Zealand coastlines, this is one of the easiest, most effective steps.

3. LEAVE VEHICLES OFF THE BEACH

Tide lines are wildlife motorways. Nesting zones are impossible to see from a vehicle. And wheel ruts trap tiny chicks.If you must drive beach access routes, stick to designated zones and watch for red‑zone restrictions — they’re there to save lives.

 

4. GIVE WILDLIFE SPACE (AND TAKE THE LONG WAY ROUND)

If a bird starts flapping, shrieking, or pretending to be injured — watch out! You’ve just walked too close to a nest. Back away slowly and give them the space they’re begging for. This is Coastal Guardian 101.

 

5. SUPPORT LOCAL CONSERVATION GROUPS

Groups like the East Coast Protection Group (ECPG) are doing heroic, hands-on  work with predator trapping, weed control, public education, and wildlife monitoring. Liking their posts, joining a planting day, donating, or simply respecting their signage is a genuine way to help.

 

HOW WINE FITS THIS STORY

At The Better Half Wines, we work, play, and unwind along the same coastlines we’re talking about here. That’s why we support conservation initiatives and encourage people to learn how to protect New Zealand coastlines — because these places shape our wines, our lifestyle, and the landscape we love .If you’re exploring the Marlborough coast, our favourites to bring along (responsibly) are:

Just remember to pack out everything you pack in — be a tidy kiwi!

 

BEING A COASTAL GUARDIAN ISN’T COMPLICATED

It’s not about perfection. It’s about paying attention.

It’s about knowing how to protect New Zealand coastlines in small but meaningful ways: where you walk, where your dog walks, how you drive, and how you interact with an environment that’s older, wilder, and more vulnerable than we sometimes realise. If everyone took one small step the next time they visited the coast, we’d see an enormous difference — for kiwi, for seabirds, and for the breathtaking beaches we’re so lucky to call home. Here’s to protecting the coast — and raising a glass to it, too.

 

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