A long history of the Marlborough Wine & Food Festival
In 1985 when the very first Marlborough Wine Festival was held, there were four established wineries in the region, with one of those yet to release any wines.
Fast forward to 2025 and there are now 160 wine companies in Marlborough, all of them producing world-class wines over a range of varieties.
In the interceding years the festival has grown from a tour of those boutique wineries attracting many locals, to a tour-de-force where hundreds of wines are poured and sipped by thousands of guests from throughout the world.
All but two of the 35 festivals have been held at Brancott Vineyard, where the very first modern-day vineyards were planted.
The festival itself has evolved over the years, now incorporating produce from the Marlborough region, and attracting renowned chefs to showcase that produce. The current format is a long way from the early days when garlic ice-cream was one of the major food attractions.
Alongside the Culinary Pavilion, guests can take part in wine and food matching and wine masterclasses. In the past it has attracted numbers as large as 17,000, although these days the event is streamlined to be more personal with crowds.
Some of the country’s best-known musicians have also taken part in the festival over the years, including Tim and Neil Finn, Gin Wigmore, Hello Sailor, Opensouls, Avalanche City and Salmonella Dub to name just a few.
The Marlborough Wine and Food Festival has come a long way since 1985, with even more to come in the future.
Marlborough Wine & Food Festival Pioneers
Explore a short film on the origins of New Zealand's longest running wine festival - the Marlborough Wine & Food Festival. Hear how it all began and the journey the festival up to the 30th Anniversary in 2014.
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