MARLBOROUGH’S 2024 HARVEST

MARLBOROUGH’S 2024 HARVEST

The weather throughout Marlborough’s 2024 harvest was sunny, dry and clear; perfect conditions for locals to enjoy, as well as for growing tasty grapes.

Marlborough’s 2024 harvest started slightly slower than in previous years with a touch of frost in some areas and cool, unsettled weather causing shoots to grow slowly and produce relatively few flowers. It was clear from the outset that the 2024 harvest in Marlborough would be much smaller than 2022 and 2023.

However, summer brought a settled spell of warm, clear days, keeping the vines healthy and allowing grapes to start ripening quickly. Extremely dry conditions prevailed through summer, with rainfall levels sitting at less than half of the long-term average rain falling through the growing season.

Sauvignon Blanc vines in Marlborough

Late summer continued to revel in sunny days, but evening temperatures started to drop, creating ideal conditions for flavours to develop whilst also retaining refreshing acidity levels in the grapes.

With all vineyard sites ripening quickly, harvest was short and sharp. Co-ordinating the harvest crews was relatively easy, with no rain to interrupt the work. Blocks were picked as they reached ideal flavors, commencing 8th March and finishing in the beauitful Upper Awatere Valley, early in the morning of 31st March.

And how do the 2024 Marlborough wines taste?

Winemaker George Elworthy is upbeat about the 2024 vintage from The Better Half Wines saying:

“Harvest 2024 would have to be one of the easiest I can remember for a very long time. The fruit came in relatively early after a long, dry summer. The harvest window provided endless blue-sky days allowing us to pick when flavors were at their optimum. “Ripe and clean” was the theme this year and early tasting of the wines confirms this with abundant ripe flavors and plenty of concentration in the glass.”

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2026 Marlborough Harvest   ·  The Better Half Wine, New Zealand

2026 Marlborough Harvest: Good News All Round.

Every bottle of The Better Half starts in a vineyard at the top of New Zealand’s South Island. Here’s the story of the 2026 Marlborough harvest— what happened out there, why it matters and what it means for your Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.

 

First, a quick geography lesson

Marlborough sits at the very top of New Zealand’s South Island — think long sunny days, cool nights and a warm breeze that rolls down the valleys. Every 2026 Marlborough harvest starts here, in one of the most celebrated wine regions in the world, best known for Sauvignon Blanc that actually tastes like something and Pinot Noir with real depth and character.

That’s where your Better Half comes from. Made at the edge of the earth. No big deal.

Spring arrived with a roar

The 2026 season kicked off with a burst of warm weather that had the vines practically racing out of the ground. No damaging frosts, no slow starts — just sunshine, warm air and that our secret-weapon-nor’west-breeze. Flowering came way earlier than usual, and the conditions were near-perfect for it. The grapes got a head start.

“We had one of those rare springs where everything just clicked — the kind of start that makes you optimistic all the way to harvest.”

the cool finish is actually the best part

After such a warm, energetic start, summer dialled back in the best possible way. Cooler temperatures and overcast days in the lead-up to harvest slowed ripening right down — and that’s a very good thing.

Think of it like slow cooking: The hot start and cool finish meant the season was extended: developing fruit flavor and concentration whil locking in the freshness, brightness and zingy acidity that make Marlborough wines famous.

The result is wine that’s full of flavor AND refreshing. Just what you want in the perfect glass.

How the 2026 Marlborough Harvest Unfolded

The 2026 Marlborough harvest ran across six weeks — and didn’t disappoint. We worked our way through the vineyards, picking each block and variety at exactly the right moment. Some grapes came in by machine, others were hand-picked bunch by bunch. Both take skill. Both involve early morning starts fuelled by a lot of enthusiasm and some extra caffeine.

We started in late February and swung into high gear as March unfolded, and finished with a final pick at the beginning of April as fall settled in.

So what does the 2026 Marlborough Harvest taste like when it hits your glass?

Bright, fresh and full of flavour

The warm spring packed the fruit with flavour and character. The cool finish kept everything vibrant and crisp. The 2026 Better Half Sauvignon Blanc is shaping up to be the kind you crack open on a Tuesday for no particular reason, or on a Friday night special occasion — and then immediately wish you’d bought more. The Pinot Noir? Expect depth, fruit and a finish that makes you pour a second glass before you’ve finished the first. Consider yourself warned.

The 2026 range is on its way.
Be first to know when it drops.

 

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Marlborough vineyard at harvest time
Harvesting grapes in Marlborough
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