Gimblett Gravels is one of the only wine-growing zones in the New World defined solely by soil type. This was made possibl… e when the Ngaruroro River changed its course in 1867 as a result of a major flood. Where the river previously flowed through the Omahu channel, vines are now planted in low-fertility stony/gravelly soils (with various pockets of sandstone, silt and clay) that benefit from extremely good drainage.
The region combines the French concept of terroir with modern day thinking to