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Welcome to the Whitehaven e-cellar door

Quality Marlborough wines

Focused on the philosophy of pursuing quality without compromise, our winemaking team has a singular vision of consistently creating premium wines from 100% Marlborough fruit, in the classic Marlborough style. This principle underpins our entire winemaking cycle from the vineyard to the bottle.

With vineyards in all three of Marlborough’s sub-regions our winemakers take advantage of sub-regional diversity and Marlborough’s exceptional terroir, combined with contemporary winemaking and traditional craftsmanship, to create a diverse range of award winning wines headed by our flagship Sauvignon Blanc.

Whitehaven is a member of Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW), an incorporated society with the goal of protecting the integrity and authenticity of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. To carry the AMW brand marque on our labels, our wines must be: produced from 100% Marlborough fruit; bottled in New Zealand; made from grapes cropped at or below set parameters and in carefully managed vineyards; and produced sustainably from vineyards that are SWNZ certified.

Whitehaven's history

Established in Marlborough in 1994 by Greg and Sue White, the name 'Whitehaven' was chosen for the importance of family, and memorialising the calm port ‘haven’ they had found in the Marlborough Sounds while on their sailing journey around the Pacific. Shedding their corporate business suits in the early 1990's, the pair had set sail from Auckland on a 48-foot yacht named Chanticleer and embarked on a two year adventure at sea. Their daughter Samantha would spend the first six months of her life on board the yacht.

Sheltering from the Pacific hurricane season, Greg, Sue and Samantha ended up back in New Zealand, in the beautiful waters of the Marlborough Sounds. They fell in love with the beauty of the region and decided that a Marlborough winery was the sort of project to see them return to dry land.

The distinctive anchor insignia seen on the Whitehaven label connects Whitehaven to its nautical beginnings and is a marque of the wine label’s quality, consistency and integrity.

Today Whitehaven remains proudly family owned and is headed by Sue who continues the dream she and her late husband Greg shared. In 2020 their daughter Samantha joined the family business, along with her husband Josh Barclay, to follow in Sue and Greg's footsteps and continue the family vision.

Reviews

2023 Whitehaven Pinot Gris

Sakura Japan Women's Wine Awards 2024, Double Gold

"It's beautifully scented on the nose, showing ripe apricot, Asian pear, lemon peel and white floral aromas, leading to a succulent palate delivering excellent weight and supple texture. Splendidly composed and expressed, making it immediately appealing."

94/100 Points (5 Stars) - Sam Kim

2020 Whitehaven "Greg" Pinot Noir

"A serious wine with a bouquet of complexity and mystery, variety, spice and depth. Aromas of raspberry and plums, clay and wood smoke, barrel spices of vanilla and a touch of nutmeg. Still very youthful on the palate with fruit and barrel flavours that reflect the bouquet. The complexity continues to unfurl through textures from firm chalky tannins and ripe acidity, and as the wine opens out a layers of red flowers and stony clay minerality begins to intensify. A lovely example with best drinking from mid to late 2024 through 2034+"

94 Points Excellent, Top Wine of 2023 - Cameron Douglas, MS, NZ, January 2023

2022 Whitehaven Chardonnay

"Fragrant, almost floral chardonnay with white peach, lime zest, a touch of oak, and a suggestion of saline/oyster shell character which adds appeal. Bright, fresh and high-energy wine with an ethereal texture."

94/100 points, Rated #4 out of 50 wines - Bob Campbell, MW, NZ