Goldwater Cabernet/Merlot 1997

Goldwater wines have been producing expressive Marlborough wines since 1992. Our wines are sustainably produced and nurtured through the growing season by our talented and experienced team. These wines showcase the best the Wairau Valley of Marlborough has to offer.

Our history is rich and colorful. Goldwater was founded in 1978, making us among the oldest wine producers in New Zealand. Still revered as a pioneering producer in the Wairau Valley, Goldwater is renowned for bright fruit flavors and extraordinary textures. For more than three decades our talented viticultural and winemaking team has worked diligently to create wines that mirror the character and personality of our unique coastal region.

From the distant silhouetted mountains behind us to the indigo blue ocean before us, the Marlborough countryside is world famous and undeniably romantic. Our home, the celebrated Wairau Valley, is a place of wistful beauty and extraordinary terroir. There is a windswept elegance to Marlborough’s famed Wairau Valley, it is both the heart of the district and home to some of the country’s most famous wines. The region takes its name from the Wairau River, which flows from the alpine ranges in the west to the ocean at Cloudy Bay. Wines from the Wairau Valley are rich, elegant, generous and concentrated.

Stu Marfell grew up on a 2,000-acre farm a few miles from Goldwater in Marlborough. When not drenching and shearing sheep, Stu and his three brothers could be found swimming and fishing in the Awatere River. In 2003, after earning his degree in Viticulture and Oenology from Lincoln University in Christchurch, New Zealand, Stu landed the Assistant Winemaker’s position at Goldwater. He became Winemaker in 2007. “The Wairau Valley is a stunning place. We have a dry, windy, temperate climate with beautiful autumns. Our cool nights help retain acid and ?avor which is so important for Sauvignon Blanc.” Stu met his wife Emily through the Wairau Rowing Club in Marlborough. Both are exercise and outdoor fanatics and travel junkies. Stu also plays a mean ukulele.