Free-draining soils, hot summers and long, dry autumns make Martinborough the perfect region for growing traditional cool-climate wines. Founded in 1980, Martinborough Vineyard was a trailblazer in the region and the first to plant the variety for which the region is best known, Pinot Noir. We now lay claim to the oldest Pinot Noir vines in the district. These plantings were the visionary response by a small group of enthusiastic investors led by Derek Milne, to a 1978 DSIR survey that revealed that the closest New Zealand climatic analog to Burgundy (the French home of Pinot Noir) was to be found in the small rain shadow centred on the township of Martinborough. Since our first vintage was released by pharmacist-turned-winemaker and original investor Russell Schultz in 1984, we have consistently produced world-class wines from our home block, Martinborough Terraces blocks and, more recently, our Burnt Spur vineyards.