New Zealand Report #3 • Marlborough is situated at the north end of New Zealand’s south island and is by far the country’s most familiar wine region.  This is no wonder since this region produces nearly 80% of New Zealand’s total wine production. Here is found nearly two-thirds of the country’s total land under vine, much of it supplying large, corporate producers making the ubiquitous Sauvignon Blanc.  But there was more to discover as well.

Our lodgings were located in a vineyard near Blenheim and from there it was a short drive to Renwick and the heart of Marlborough.  The large number of wineries and cellar doors in this area has given rise to several bicycle touring companies.  Wine Tours by Bike set us up with sturdy road cruisers and a guide to the neighborhood.  With nine wineries (“cellar doors”) within 2km (1.5 miles) radius and over 20 within 5km (3 miles), our day’s activity was planned.

This part of Marlborough is a large, flat valley defined by hills to the north and south and open to Cloudy Bay on the east.  The terrain makes for easy bike riding and the southern hemisphere’s summer weather in January was sunny and bright.

Riesling and other aromatic whites are plentiful here, alongside Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.  As usual, we sought out small, passionate producers of high-quality juice.  We were not disappointed:

Forrest – This family winery has been in existence since 1988 and offers a wide range of varietals using estate-grown fruit from vineyards across the Wairau valley.  The seven options on offer for tasting at the cellar door ranged from a Malbec-based sparkling rosé to more surprises like Albariño and Petit Manseng.  They have recently launched a second label, “The Doctors,” reflecting the original vocation of the owners.

Te Whare Ra – A hand-lettered sign advising us to knock loudly greeted us as we arrived at Te Whare Ra for tasting.  This small organic winery boasts some of the oldest vines in the area, which means they date back to the late 1970s.  Delicious aromatic whites were the standouts here. 

Bladen – Christine and Dave MacDonald started this endeavor in 1989 when there were only eight wineries in the district.  The name is a combination of their children’s names: BLAir and DENi.  Christine herself shared samples of their wine under a shady tree, all the while regaling us with stories from the planting of the vines to the present.  Alongside some excellent wine, we gained a new appreciation for how recently viticulture has developed in this area.

Framingham – Pithy and diverse aphorisms are stenciled on the walkways of this rock-and-roll winery.  Not only a cellar door, this is a concert venue as well and the home of a local band, Renwick Nudes.  The visit turned out to be a seminar in the art of Riesling as they produce everything from a dry example through several of increasing sweetness up to a fully botrytisized “Noble Riesling.”  Most of these small-batch, estate bottlings bear German nomenclature (Kabinett, Auslese, Spätlese, etc.) and incredibly detailed vintage notes accompanied the tastes.  Riesling is obviously a deep passion here!  Stenciled underfoot we read words from the head winemaker, Andrew Hedley:

"Absolutely don’t chase mass appeal and volume with Riesling as that is often a path to rubbish.”