Marlborough Region

Marlborough demonstrates how a single cultivar can dominate an entire regional economy to the point of ecological monoculture. The region produces 87% of New Zealand's Sauvignon Blanc, which comprises 86% of the country's wine exports—making one grape variety from one South Island district a significant contributor to national balance of payments. Over 27,800 hectares of vineyard around Blenheim and Seddon generate three-quarters of all New Zealand wine from less than 0.5% of the country's land area.

This concentration created remarkable wealth. New Zealand wine commands the highest average price per litre of any exporting nation, and Marlborough's 500+ growers built an industry worth $2.1 billion in exports (year to June 2024). But monocultures face predictable stresses. The 2024 industry survey found 79% of producers citing inflation and cost increases as critical challenges. Vineyard values dropped from $312,000/hectare (June 2023) to $283,000/hectare (June 2024). Large vintages combined with declining consumer demand have created wine surplus—the ecological equivalent of carrying capacity overshoot.

The 2025 vintage offers temporary relief, heralded as exceptional quality that should help move accumulated inventory. Yet the structural challenge remains: a region so specialized that alternative land uses have been displaced, facing markets where Sauvignon Blanc demand is softening. Marlborough's story tracks the classic monoculture trajectory—explosive growth through specialization, followed by the vulnerabilities that accompany placing 87% of production in a single crop variety.