Located in the South Island of New Zealand, in the Marlborough region, the Company takes its name from the bay at the eastern end of the Wairau Valley, which was so named by Captain Cook during his voyage in 1770. At the time of Cook's discovery, the rivers were full of mud that made the waters murky. Cloudy Bay exists thanks to the dream of its founder, David Hohnen, former founder of Cape Mentelle, a visionary who has made the wine expression of terroir his life's mission. In 1983 he tasted a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for the first time; he was so enchanted by it that he founded Cloudy Bay in 1985. Cloudy Bay is credited with introducing New Zealand wines to the world and making Sauvignon Blanc famous as a single-varietal wine. In 1997, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc was the first New Zealand wine on Wine Spectator's Top 10 list.