Nelson lies on the northern end of the south island. The wineries are on the plains, southwest of the town, and on up into the hills of Upper Moutere. The terrain faces north onto Tasman Bay and, of all the major wine regions from Gisborne on south, it is the one that does not lie predominantly east of the mountains. It gets significantly more rainfall than the neighboring dry Marlborough. Despite the rain, the northern exposure gives it long hours of daylight and the second highest total hours of sunshine in the country.

Nelson is an attractive town with many gardens and overlooks to the Tasman Bay. Typical for New Zealand, the properties and gardens are well-tended. Nelson is also the gateway to the popular Abel Tasman National Park and the Kahurangi National Park. Both are excellent for hiking and nature walks.

The region is likely to remain small due to the lack of spacious growing areas and its distance from transportation centers. The two dozen wineries are typically small but with picturesque settings. The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir can compete with the best in the country. Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc complete the big four. Warm weather reds like Cabernet have difficulty.

Here is the list of wineries: