Gimblett Gravels

Gimblett Gravels is a registered wine growing district brand located in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, at longitude 176°45' and latitude 39°37'. It is described as a brand representing some of the world's finest full-bodied red wines created from a special terroir. In 2001, wine producers and winegrowers with land in the area formed the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowers Association to collectively promote wines from the area. The brand combines the French concept of terroir with modern thinking to define, protect and market wine, and its wines are based on a tightly specified district designation.

Gimblett Gravels is a wine growing district in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. Viticulturally, the district has an extremely short history. Up until the late 1980s the area was regarded as the poorest, least productive land in Hawke's Bay, needing about three acres to feed one sheep. Town planners allowed drag strips, warehouses, coolstores and whole suburbs to be developed in the district, and a concrete company purchased 150ha to mine for gravel. The first vineyards were planted in Mere Road in the late 1970s with Chenin Blanc and Muller Thurgau, before the first Bordeaux red varieties were planted. The region was first planted in red grapes in 1981, with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The first Syrah was planted in 1982 by Alan Limmer of Stonecroft. Prior to 1991, only 20ha of the region was planted in grapes, growing to over 200ha by 1997, with a further 400ha being planted since 1998. In 2001, wine producers and winegrowers with land in this special area formed the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowers Association in order to collectively promote wines from this special area to the world. The Gimblett Gravels brand combines the French concept of terroir with modern day thinking to define, protect and market wine. In what is believed to be a first for winegrowers in the New World, Gimblett Gravels wines are based on the ultimate designation of their district according to a tightly specified standard.

A brand representing some of the world's finest full bodied red wines created from a special terroir located in Hawke's Bay, North Island, New Zealand.

1. 1Home - Gimblett Gravelsthegimblettgravels.com
2. 2About Us - Gimblett Gravelsthegimblettgravels.com
3. 3The Association - Gimblett Gravelsthegimblettgravels.com
4. 4Vintage Summaries - Gimblett Gravelsthegimblettgravels.com
5. 5Gimblett Gravelswikidata.org