We awoke to find an e-mail that our booking in Nelson for the next two days had been cancelled because they were overbooked. We got that sorted out and had a chance to look at the weather forecast that was also not too favourable for Nelson for today so we said screw it, off to Marlborough To taste some Sauvignon Blanc! We can do that in the rain.
We had a nice breakfast at our B&B and our hosts Greg and Carlie were helpful in giving us some advice on wine tours and an alternative location to Nelson that would enhance our Abel Tasman Park experience.
It was a 30 minute drive to Marlborough where we were able to find an iSite and book a wine tour for the afternoon that would allow me to partake in the tastings an not have to drive. Before checking in to our Motel, we had a couple of hours to kill so we decided to take a bit of a walk up the hills at the south to town at Wither Hills. It is amazing how brown the hills are. This area has been experiencing an unusual drought. Usually the hillsides would be green.
This is a walk up some trails to a summit but we only had time to get to the halfway picnic area before we had to turn back so we could make it to the wine tour. Still, some great views.
The trail went through some active farming areas and we managed to mingle with some sheep.
After our picnic lunch, we went to the Motel and were able to check in early. Another nice place with a good kitchenette and living area. It had reasonable WiFi but a 2 hour time limit which expired before I got around to doing the blog so I gave up for tonight and watched TV.
Our wine tour minibus arrived on time and we were off to our first stop at Framingham. Some decent wines but I was not overly impressed with the Sauvignon Blanc. Pinot Noir was good.
This area is know for Sauvignon Blanc. It accounts for 70% of the NZ production of this wine. And 65% of it is Sauvignon Blanc. Very flat growing area between hills/mountains to the north and south with well draining soil and sunny climate. All of this has developed since 1976 when orchards were converted to vineyards. Sounds like the Niagara story.
Next we were on to Drylands. A large winery owned by Constellation that also owns Inniskillin in Niagara. Their brands include Nobilo and Kim Crawford, both well known in North America.
After that it was Hunters. A fabulous family winery with a Sauvignon Blanc that was worthy to buy for sipping at a special occasion.
From here, we went to a sampling centre for a winery south of Marlborough. Some good wines and an interesting spot.
And that ended the wine tasting for the afternoon....
We finished up with a stop at the Chocolate Factory but resisted the urge to buy some $25 Chocolate Brittle with the fear that it would melt in the car.
Back to our Motel by 5:00 pm in time to do some laundry before supper in a pub within walking distance.
On the way to supper we walked past a Mazda car dealer and I happened to glance at the price of a four year old Mazda 3. $27,000!! I don't think a new one costs that much in Canada. No wonder you see so many older cars here.
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