Written by Kim
We arrived at the Picton port early and needed to be out for our tour at 9:15. The port is another logging port. We learned that New Zealand exports a lot of lumber for the Asian markets, primarily Japan and Korea. They make paper and furniture among other things with the lumber. Pine trees grow 3 times faster in New Zealand due to the climate but it still takes 20 years for a tree to mature. They replant at every harvest. Forest still covers about 7% of the land and logging employs about 7,000 people in NZ. All of our ports had huge timber yards awaiting to be loaded in containers for shipment.
We shuttled to the welcome center at the port and found our tour group, Discovery Wine Tours. We booked this tour through Viator. Our group of 10 loaded the van with our driver, Kevin, to head off to the wineries. As the southernmost wine region of the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail, Marlborough pairs stunning landscapes with the renowned taste of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and other wines. The region is home to 168 wineries, including iconic brands such as Cloudy Bay, and small boutique family producers such as Hans Herzog Estate.
Our first stop was Clos Henri. The land for this winery was purchased by Jean-Marie and the late Rémi Bourgeois. Their family had a very successful winery in Sancerre region of France and saw Marlborough as a place to experiment to deliver a great organic product. They bought the land in 2000 and bought the church which is now used as the tasting room in 2003. The church sold by a Presbyterian congregation who couldn’t sustain the building and moved on a trailer to the vineyard.
The wine guide explained that the soil makes a huge difference in the taste of the wine. The winery sits on a fault line so part of it is very stoney soil and part is clay soil. We tasted 2 wines made from the same grapes and same process. Otira had a bit more bite from the stoney soil and Waimaunga was smoother due to its planting in the clay soil. Our guide told us most Americans like the Otira better and the Aussies like the Waimaunga but we liked the Waimaunga so we were deemed the wannabe Aussies which is true.
The grounds were gorgeous and we had a fantastic spontaneous air show from some planes that were flying overhead.
Our second stop was No. 1 Family Estate. We had visited this one when we were in Marlborough last time. They only produce sparkling wines.
Daniel Le Brun established this vineyard in 1985. He came from Champagne in France and saw an opportunity to make champagne in NZ. There was no Chardonnay, Pinot Noir nor Meunier, the three varietals used in Champagne so Daniel set up a nursery, grew the vines and transported them to Marlborough. Five years later, he launched his first New Zealand méthode traditionelle in 1985. The process needed to be called method traditionelle because you can’t call anything champagne that isn’t from that region in France. They create special vintages for big family events.
Our last stop was the Astrolabe which wasn’t a pretty vineyard but looked more like an American brewery. I didn’t care for any of the wines here. They were all very young (
We had a bit of lunch with some tapas during our tasting here.
Last time we were in Marlborough we did a wine tour with Marlborough Wine tours which was much better than this tour. We went to more wineries and it was more scenic. We paid quite a bit ($140 per person) and we were disappointed. The first winery was great. It seems they all go to No 1 because they can tell the sparkling wine history but the last one wasn’t a traditional winery. It was still a fun day except for the obnoxious stereotypical American couple. I said to the one Aussie couple they even annoy us I can’t imagine how you feel.
Back on the ship we went to the pub to join trivia with our Aussie friends, Ben and Courtney. They are newlyweds – they got married the Friday before we left Sydney. Courtney had on her wedding shoes for white night. They were so cute,
We will be at sea the next few days heading back to Sydney. Until then….
