What is the AMW Annual Collection?

APPELLATION MARLBOROUGH WINE ANNOUNCES THE 2026 AMW SAUVIGNON BLANC COLLECTION

A benchmark selection of AMW certified Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) has announced its highly anticipated Annual Collection for 2026. First launched in 2022, the initiative celebrates a benchmark selection of certified Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc that showcases the diversity, quality and authenticity that define its region.

Ensuring every collection has a unique perspective, AMW seeks a new panel each year. The organisation welcomed New Zealand judges Liz Wheadon, Matt Aitchison and Benji Smith this year; joined by Hong Kong based Master of Wine Jennifer Docherty.

One hundred and seven (107) AMW certified sauvignon blancs were tasted blind over an intensive six-hour session by the independent expert panel. "It was a privilege to witness the robust processes around the selection of our 2026 Collection,” says Stephanie McIntyre, CEO of AMW. “Panel expertise was certainly in abundance, and the resulting suite of wine is a comprehensive showcase of the entirety of Marlborough.”

Panel lead, Liz Wheadon, remarked that the overall quality of submitted wine was outstanding. “2026 is an incredibly strong vintage,” says Liz. “At one stage, we had a significant group of wines that had the same average score, and it took considerable discussion and time to separate them. That says a lot about the strength of the wines we were tasting.”

This year’s AMW Sauvignon Blanc Collection comprises eight classic and four contemporary style wines, ranging from regional blends through to single vineyard and small parcels. “Getting down to just 12 wines was genuinely difficult,” says Liz. “We needed a bigger box!”

Stephanie says the AMW Collection makes a strong ‘case’ for quality Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. “The variety was declared a Classic Grape Variety in 1986 by Master of Wine Jancis Robinson. This timing coincides with its first plantings in our region and, shortly thereafter, it put New Zealand on the global wine map. Sauvignon blanc deserves to be treated with respect and enthusiasm,” says Stephanie. “When crafted with care, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is hard to resist – it's lively, aromatically intense and texturally complex. I love that it sits comfortably at both a formal dining table and within a picnic basket!”

International guest judge, Jennifer Docherty MW says it is important to promote and appreciate craftsmanship. "We want to attract, inspire and keep wine consumers. Trends come and go, but quality and authenticity stand the test of time.”

Liz agrees, “When the overall standard of a region is this high, it's so important that we continue to recognise, celebrate and challenge the very top end. That recognition helps drive quality forward and ensures we never take the region's success for granted.”

AMW Chair Sophie Parker-Thomson MW says the Annual Collection is a testament to the care and commitment behind every certified wine. “Appellation Marlborough Wine was created to protect Marlborough’s reputation for future generations. Our certification standards, unique in New Zealand, help ensure that wines from our country’s largest wine region are made with integrity and reflect their origin. Together, they provide consumers with confidence in the authenticity and quality of every bottle.”

The AMW logo and trust mark is a decisive visual consumer checkpoint. It can be found on wine bottle back labels and, increasingly, on banderol wrapped capsules “Marlborough’s reputation was built on an intensity and quality unique to its place,” says Stephanie. "The AMW trust mark assures consumers that what they open is a true, provenance driven expression of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc - and the twelve wines in the Annual Collection demonstrate that without compromise.”

THE 2026 AMW COLLECTION

Astrolabe Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2026 | Awatere Valley

Bladen Five Barrels Sauvignon Blanc 2024 | Central Wairau

Catalina Sounds Sauvignon Blanc 2026 | Wairau Valley

Catalina Sounds Sound of White Classic Sauvignon Blanc 2025 | Southern Valleys

Cloudy Bay Te Koko 2024 | Wairau Valley

Duck Hunter Sauvignon Blanc 2026 | Marlborough

Eva Pemper Wines Sauvignon Blanc 2026 | Lower Wairau

Rapaura Springs Bull Paddock Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2026 | Lower Wairau

Rimapere Sauvignon Blanc 2026 | Central Wairau

The Loop Sauvignon Blanc 2026 | Coastal Awatere & Blind River

Two Rivers Convergence Sauvignon Blanc 2026 | Marlborough

Walnut Block Collectables Sauvignon Blanc 2026 | Central Wairau

Appellation Marlborough Wine™ (AMW) was established in 2018 to protect the integrity and reputation of Marlborough wines.

The AMW mark is awarded to wines that meet defined production standards, are verified for 100% Marlborough origin and certified sustainable vineyards, bottled exclusively in New Zealand, and pass a tasting assessment by an independent panel of industry experts.

With more than sixty member producers, AMW represents a shared commitment to quality, provenance, and sustainability — reinforcing Marlborough’s reputation for world-class Sauvignon Blanc.