Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Te Whare Ra
MAP
(
www.twrwines.co.nz
;
56 Anglesea St, Renwick)
Compact, hands-on winery creating
gorgeous sauvignon blanc, riesling, gewürztraminer and pinot gris.
of Marlborough's oldest vines. Relaxing gardens and a fancy new cellar door.
Wither Hills
MAP
(
www.witherhills.co.nz
; 211 New Renwick Rd) One of the region's flagship wineries
and an architectural gem. Premium wines and enthralling winemaker-for-a-day tours ($45).
Yealands Estate
(
03-575 7618;
www.yealandsestate.co.nz
;
cnr Seaview & Reserve Rds, Seddon)
Zero-
carbon winemaking on a grand scale at this space-age winery near Seddon; tours by arrangement.
Best Wining & Dining
With wine there must be food, and here are our recommendations for dining among the vines. Opening hours are
for summer, when bookings are recommended.
Wairau River
MAP
(
03-572 9800;
www.wairauriverwines.com
;
cnr Rapaura Rd & SH6; mains $20-27;
noon-3pm) Modishly modified mudbrick bistro with wide verandah and beautiful gardens with plenty
of shade. Order the mussel chowder or the double-baked blue-cheese soufflé. Relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable.
Rock Ferry
MAP
(
03-579 6431;
www.rockferry.co.nz
;
80 Hammerichs Rd; mains $22-26;
11.30am-3pm) Pleasant environment inside and out, with a slightly groovy edge. The compact summery
menu - think tea-smoked salmon or organic open steak sandwich - is accompanied by wines from Marlborough
and Otago.
$36-56; 11am-4pm) Simple, well-executed food in a stylish space. Pull up a beanbag on the Hockney-esque
lawns and enjoy hot-smoked salmon, rib of beef or a platter, before climbing the ziggurat for impressive views
across the Wairau.
Herzog Winery
MAP
( 03-572 8770;
www.herzog.co.nz
; 81 Jefferies Rd; mains $44-49, 5-course degusta-
tion menu with/without wine $197/125; restaurant from 7pm Wed-Sun, bistro 11am-10pm, reduced hours
May-Oct) Refined dining in Herzog's opulent dining room. Beautifully prepared food and a remarkable wine list.
Excellent-value bistro meals (mains $28 to $30) also available.
11am-4.30pm Tue-Sun) Keenly priced platters of quality charcuterie, fromages and French desserts - the sort of
lunch you should be eating at a vineyard. Eat outside or in Domaine George Michel's elegant restaurant.
Wine Tours
Wine tours are generally conducted in a minibus, last between four and seven hours, take in four to seven winer-
ies and range in price from $65 to $95 (with a few grand tours up to around $200 for the day, including a winery
lunch). The following are the
grand crus
:
Highlight Wine Tours
( 03-577-9046, 0800 494 638;
www.highlightwinetours.co.nz
) Visit a chocolate fact-
ory, too. Custom tours available.
