Hawkes Bay Wine

Hawkes Bay Wine - The second largest region with a respected 100 year heritage in wine. It has a varied topography and wide range of soil types, from fertile silty loams to free-draining shingle; ranging from the hot shingle soils of the Gimblett Road area to the cool, higher altitude central vineyards. Chardonnay is the most widely planted variety, and long sunshine hours also attract later-ripening red grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, as well as the early ripening Pinot Noir.