Written by Alex
After the breezy, rainy day yesterday in Wellington, we awoke to a picture perfect day at Picton. We had booked a tour to the Marlborough region for wine tasting through Viator. We arrived in Picton about an hour before our tour so walked around this pretty town.
A little before 10, we met up with our tour guide Dean along with 9 others taking the tour. Our first stop was a very small but successful winery run by a German family – Johannesoff Cellars. This winery was unlike any others as they grow the grapes on the hillsides rather than in the valley. I can’t comment well on the different wines as I’m not much of a wine drinker – I thought they all tasted fine for wine!
Next stop was a small, local chocolate factory. Kim and I both went inside and had a couple samples and quickly went out before we bought anything. The last thing I need is chocolate after 26 days cruising! I did get a beautiful picture of the winery across the street which wound up later being our final stop – Saint Clair.
We then went to a winery (No. 1) devoted solely to making champagne – uh, I mean “sparkling wine” – since you’re not allowed to call it champagne unless made in the Champagne region of France. Well, they had a French winemaker and it tasted like champagne to me, so if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck?
Next we stopped at the Vines Village which is small retail village and included a tasting room for Whitehaven Winery. Like I said, I’m not a great judge of wine. But if I had to choose, the Pinot Gris and the Pinot Noir at this spot were my favorites.
Since we had a little time after the tasting to browse and shop, I found a local craft brewery and decided it was time to have my favorite – beer 🍺! Golden Mile brewing to the rescue with a yummy American Pale Ale for me and a Pilsner for Kim. Dean got a real kick out of us drinking beer on his wine tour!
The next winery, Hunter, also had lunch ready for us (we had preordered) – so we did a tasting there and ate outside on the deck. It was a beautiful little spot with English style gardens. I had a panini and Kim had prawn dumplings. Plus we ordered more wine! 😋
The same mouse stole one of Kim’s dumplings!
After lunch it was on to our final stop, the previously mentioned Saint Clair. By this time I think I was starting to slip into a wine/beer/food induced coma, but I soldiered on!
After our short drive back to Picton and thanking Dean for a great day, it was into the long queue to wait for a shuttle bus back to the ship. The line moved quickly though and we were back on board for a quick pizza snack. We then headed to the cabin and proceeded to crash – all the way to 8pm and through happy hour! Actually I think I crashed more than Kim. I obviously never drink that much wine. But if I ever have insomnia (which I don’t), I know the cure!
We went and had dinner with Geronimo and Normandy and then finished the night in Boleros for a bit to watch the Caribbean pool deck band and some of the not so good karaoke that followed.
Two more sea days lie between us and Sydney, Australia! The forecast is for us to plow through a storm on the way there, so a rocking a rolling sea day is on tap for Friday.
Big mice in NZ!
Yeah. Lol. Actually they do have a rodent problem that is killing some of their native birds so we saw traps in this one area in Wellington that has had a huge impact in controlling their issue.