Marlborough wine producer and grape grower, Balvonie New Zealand, has released Marlborough’s first Prosecco from Glera grapes planted in the Rapaura sub-region.

The 2023 Balvonie Prosecco has been a three-year project for owners Ben and Helen McLauchlan, who first fell in love with Prosecco while living in the UK.

“Global Prosecco sales have boomed in the last decade. Following a year of research, we were confident that the Glera vine would grow well here in Marlborough. We wanted to try something different, so we gave it a nudge,” says Ben.

“Glera has a loose architecture, and we have seen no disease. It has a long growing season, with an early bud burst and harvest around the same time as Sauvignon Blanc.”

The Glera grapes used in the Balvonie Prosecco come from vine cuttings imported from Italy, then propagated by Ormond Nurseries in Marlborough.

“After watching the global growth in Prosecco sales, we wanted to explore its potential for the New Zealand wine industry,” says Marcus Wickham, Ormond Nurseries General Manager.

“I believe Glera is well suited to our growing conditions, the long, cool ripening period allows full flavour development, and the vine is vigorous, producing a good crop load.”

W: balvonie.nz