Spy Valley Satellite Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2024

Spy Valley is one of New Zealand’s great winemaking stories. Back in the 1990s, Bryan and Jan Johnson were looking to plant estate vineyards in Marlborough’s rugged Waihopai Valley. They were laughed at, at every turn. The neighbors thought they were absolutely nuts. The land was too hard, too dry, not nearly fertile enough to grow wine. A couple decades later, they’re one of NZ’s brightest stars exporting to 35 countries. I guess they showed them!

The winery gets its name from the government satellite communications and intelligence interception facility just down the road – a spy base hidden deep in the Southern Valleys where apparently the terroir is perfect for more than just espionage.