Wine Archives - Roaming DINKs

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!

Our next stop – 3.5 glorious weeks in France. We visited Paris, Beaune (Burgundy region), Nice and Bordeaux. As you might expect, there this is too much for one post. So Part Une will cover Paris and Beaune. Enjoy!

Paris

Where to start?! Paris is pure magic – the history, fashion, food, and of course romance. We had a wonderful time simply wandering the streets, taking in views of the Siene, the architecture, the art, the culture. There is so much to do and see,. In our six days we only scratched the surface.

The Eiffel Tower

Although initially hated by the French, to us Paris is all about the Eiffel Tower. We used our Chase points to book a fancy hotel with a view of the Eiffel Tower. It was fabulous and cost us nothing! We enjoyed different viewpoints, from above and below, of the Eiffel Tower from all over the city.

The Food

Paris, for good reason, boasts some of the best food in the world. We had some of the most delicious meals of our lives at random cafes and restaurants. We also enjoyed a food tour in the Montmartre neighborhood that ended with a great overlook of the city. In an effort to learn the secrets, we took a cooking class and learned how to make croissants and pain au chocolat the French way (hint – lots of butter). The pastries turned out delicious in class. We will see if we can replicate once we get home!

The Culture

You cannot visit Paris without art. We visited the Musee d’Orsay which houses the largest collection of impressionist works. In particular, we were excited to see paintings by Claude Monet, Edward Degas and of course Vincent van Gogh. The museum itself was stunning, plus the world class paintings and sculptures. We really enjoyed our visit. We also took a tour of the Palais Garnier – Paris’s opera house and one of the most ornate buildings we have ever seen. Unfortunately there were no performances, opera or ballet, scheduled during our visit. That is definitely on our list for next time.

Mont Saint-Michel

We took a day trip to the Normandy region to visit Mont Saint-Michel. This stunning island features a medieval abbey. But what makes this place unique are the tides. When the tide goes out, the island is accessible by foot. But when the tide is in, it is surrounded by water. The tides vary greatly – up to 45 feet between high and low tide! The abbey was constructed in the 8th century after (as the myth goes) Archangel Michael appeared and directed a monk to build a church on the island. The island later became a pilgrimage site for medieval Christians. However, the trek could be dangerous depending on the tides. We walked to the island across a wooden boardwalk but were warned to steer clear of the quicksand surrounding the area. It was an interesting place to see and worthy of a day trip.

Beaune

Now for the opposite of sprawling Paris – charming Beaune. Beaune is famous worldwide as the capital of Burgundy wines. Beaune is a medieval city with intact walls, ramparts and historical buildings in the old town. The Hospices de Beaune is the showpiece – a perfectly preserved 15th century hospital for the poor.

Hospices de Beaune – great hall where patients were treated

Veloroute La Voie des Vignes

But, this is Burgundy and we were there for the wine! Beaune is surrounded by vineyards and some of the most famous wine villages in the world. Beaune connects with the Voie des Vignes – a bicycle path that winds its way through the vineyards and villages from Santenay to Dijon. We rented e-bikes and spent our days riding through the hills, vineyards and to several villages.

And Oh the Châteaux

After biking through the vineyards, the highlight was stopping at châteaux for wine tastings. We learned so much about Burgundy wines and the particularities of the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune. We tasted wines that we could trace to the specific plot of land from which the grapes were harvested. You could spend a lifetime learning the nuances of Burgundy wine. We learned enough to know we were in love.