In the days and weeks before my move to New Zealand, I developed a taste for one of New Zealand’s most well known exports – not lamb, but Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a beautiful wine known for its refreshing, crisp, and tropical taste. Some of the world’s best Sauvignon Blanc comes from Marlborough – I was determined to spend a day visiting the many wineries in the region.
The Marlborough region is New Zealand’s leading wine producing area. Its weather conditions are perfect for growing the cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc grape – extremely dry, warm and sunny days, complemented by cool nights. Marlborough is tucked away at the northern tip of the South Island amongst the plains of the Wairau River. A beautiful area of New Zealand with vineyards at times stretching as far as the eye can see. Two small communities complement the area – Blenheim (blen – um) and smaller Renwick.
While the weather hasn’t been as ideal as I would have hoped in the previous weeks, yesterday turned out to be the perfect day for a bike tour around the area: clear blue skies, plenty of sun, and a cool breeze. Plenty of companies offer guided van tours of the region – but I opted for a budget friendly way to explore Marlborough.
Armed with a slightly used bike, a water bottle, some panniers for bottles of wine, and a map, I set off to explore the area.
With over 60 wineries, there is no shortage of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and Gewurztraminer to be tasted. The cellar doors of the wineries run the gamete from small, humble operations to more impressive places offering high-end meals, cheese tastings, and exquisitely decorated tasting rooms. Most tastings are free and include entry level, young Sauv Blans, aged Pinot Gris, and vintage reserves. White wines dominate the region, although the Pinot Noir grape also grows well with Marlborough’s cool climate.
With the dozens of wineries found throughout the region, you’re bound to find a few that stick out as your favorites. I’ve listed three that I feel you can’t miss:
1) Cloudy Bay was my first and most impressive stop. The tasting room is tucked amongst the wineries seemingly endless rows of grapes. A beautiful location is complemented by an impressive tasting room: filled with polished concrete, beautiful Marlborough artwork, and a great wall-sized window viewing dozens of oak barrels. A free, five wine tasting adds to the impressive mix.
2) Huia Vineyards makes the list thanks to the friendly, informative, and unpretentious tasting experience. A transplanted Aussie makes sure you leave Huia with a taste for their wines and an understanding of what goes into the production process.
3) Gibson Bridge Winery is a young, boutique, and family owned vineyard. Gibson Bridge only started their growing operations four years ago. Focusing on Pinot Gris, it’s a great stop if you’ve had enough Sauvignon Blanc for the day. Their motto is, ‘excellence through passion,’ and you can certainly sense Julie Simmonds’ passion as she tells you about their operation.
After a long day riding around Marlborough, you’ll want a nice place to stretch out, relax, and spend the night. Most of the wineries are found within a two or three mile radius of small and charming Renwick. Spend the night at Watson’s Way Backpackers.
Pat and Paul are a charming Kiwi couple who go out of their way to make you feel at home. The hostel features a well-equipped kitchen, a gorgeous garden with fruit trees, hammocks, and a beautiful enclosed patio. While I stayed in my campervan, the rooms appear to be clean, well-kept, and comfortable. As an added bonus, staying at Watson’s Way will allow you to hire bikes at $15/day (much better than Lonely Planet’s recommendation at $55 per person, per day).
Pat sets you up with all the necessities: panniers, maps, a helmet – but most importantly, heaps of advice on where to go to eat, drink, and get the most out of your time in beautiful Marlborough.
9 December 2009 at 8:40 am
Horray…you are back!! Great post!!!
10 December 2009 at 10:20 am
Your living the dream, enjoyed your stories,hope Max holds up.!!!! m. p.
12 December 2009 at 11:21 pm
Thanks Mark! Max is running strong – lets just hope he will last another year!
14 December 2009 at 9:15 pm
Go back to the winery and buy me a bottle of that wine. Just hold onto it for a year. Thanks.
Hugs and kisses,
Charlie
15 December 2009 at 6:11 am
Oooh! Yum for Marlborough whites! (I find the pinots a bit harsh; the Australian reds are tastier on the whole because their tannins tend to be less harsh for some reason.)
If you want a good, mid-price Gisborne wine, I have two recommendations that are widely available, even in the wilds of South Island: Millton Vineyards 2007 Shenin Blanc. Despite being one of the largest bineyards in Gisborne, Millton know what they’re doing. The Shenin Blanc tastes like honey and apples and sunshine. (OK, maybe not sunshine, but definitely honey and apples.) Mom and I got a wee bit tipsy on this one night and had Dad drive us back home when they were visiting; very, very tasty wine. The second wine is from KEW (Kirkpatrick Estate Winery) and is one of the few New Zealand reds I like. They have a “Flat Top Merlot”, which is a single vineyard wine. The 2007 and 2008 are both delicious, but the 2008 probably needs another year to mellow.
Note: 2007 was a *very* good wine year in New Zealand. Also, if you do stop in Nelson (not reccomended, but maybe worth it for the booze) the wine store in town has good recommendations for any taste and the Sprig and Fern Tavern has the best darn beer in the whole country.
Wow, that ended up way longer than I thought.
20 September 2010 at 2:40 pm
This sounds like a great way to spend a day in New Zealand. I think I’ll have to see if I can find a Sauvignon Blanc from this region.
25 September 2010 at 3:24 pm
@Christy It’s an excellent way to spend a day – you’ll be a bit unsteady on the bike by the end of your tour, but it’s well worth it! The Marlborough Savs are exported in pretty high numbers, so you shouldn’t have too hard of a time finding a bottle – though I’m not sure about in Vietnam!