Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has propelled the New Zealand wine industry to export earnings of more than NZ$500 million, according to The Marlborough Express.

The figure released in the New Zealand Winegrowers 2006 Annual Report is up from the previous year's figure of NZ$435 million and half way to the industry's goal of achieving NZ$1 billion exports by 2010.

New Zealand Winegrowers chief executive Philip Gregan said Marlborough was driving the progress. "There's no doubt about that. Most of our Sauvignon Blanc comes from Marlborough, internationally Marlborough has put us on the map."

The fall in the New Zealand dollar over recent months had also helped, he said.

The country's wine industry sold more than 100 million litres of wine and harvested a record 185,000 tonnes of grapes in the year ending June 30 - 62% of the grapes were harvested in Marlborough.

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