Since we found our house and car so quickly, we had a free weekend before Dusty started work. So, we planned a two-day trip to the Marlborough region and sample the best (in our opinion) sauvignon blanc in the world!
We drove to Wellington and took the ferry across the Cook Strait to the South Island. From there we had a short drive to our Airbnb in Blenheim. Blenheim is a cute town that is home base to the Marlborough vineyards.
Channeling our great experience in France, we rented e-bikes to explore the region. In the morning we visited three wineries – Framingham, Forrest and Whitehaven – with a guide with Bike2Wine. In the afternoon, we visited Nautilus, and sampled bubbles from the No. 1 Family Estate. We also stumbled upon a gin distiller, Roots, that makes a pinot noir gin!
For dinner, we picked the Fancy Cow, an Italian restaurant just outside of Blenheim. It was delicious and had beautiful outdoor patio, complete with Fanta their pet Highland cow.
Day Two was all about Cloudy Bay. We took the First Taste private tour and were driven to visit vineyards to see how the grapes are harvested and how the wine is made. We got stunning views of the Richmond Ranges which are depicted on the wine bottle labels. After the tour, we were treated to an extensive tasting. We had lunch at their fabulous restaurant, Saku, and relaxed on the beautiful grounds. If you ever have a chance, visit Cloudy Bay!
Next, we visited Mahi, a small family-owned winery. We found a wonderful wine store in Palmerston North – Village Wines run by Vanessa and Alastair. They gave us great recommendations for small producers to visit in Marlborough. Mahi came highly recommended and we found out why! Max (the owners’ son) gave us a tour of the property and a private wine tasting. When we told Max that we would be leaving by taxi, he offered to drop us off on his way home. Mahi is now one of our favorite New Zealand wines!
On our way back to the ferry, we squeezed in one last visit to check out Spy Valley. Those that drink sauvignon blanc in the US are definitely familiar with this wine. Spy Valley is named because of its proximity to Waihopai Station – an 80’s era spy base, complete with the now obsolete white domes. The white domes are gone now, but they gave a cute theme for the winery. In addition to the famous sauvignon blanc, we tasted really good pinot noir and chardonnay.
From there, we made our way back to the ferry and home. For the first time in a long time, real life starts on Monday!
