Wellington to Renwick

Sailing out of Wellington Harbour

Woke to driving rain and gale force winds - ideal for a ferry crossing not! Aenea rather subdued at the prospect. Loaded on to the Interislander ferry and bade farewell to Wellington. Despite the weather, views still impressive as we sailed out of Wellington Harbour and into the Cook Strait. Sea was remarkably mild, given the strength of the wind but we were told this was because wind was northerly. Southerly gales are a different story. Lumpy patch in the middle of the Strait, where the two oceans meet.

Some blinks of sunshine as we neared South Island. Lovely rainbow welcomed us as we entered Tory Channel. Relative shelter of the Channel brought everyone out on deck to snap the stunning scenery. Motored down through the channels of the Marlborough Sound. The mountains drop straight down into the sea but, every here and there, there was a little house, perched on the slopes, accessible only by boat.

Tory Channel in Marlborough Sounds

Patches of sunshine as we disembarked at Picton and headed inland. Road climbed up and over some hills, then down into the sunshine of the plains where the countryside became agricultural and soon we were into the Marlborough wine fields.  Vineyards on the plain as far as the eye could see but set against a backdrop of wrinkled mountains both north and south. Soon reached our B&B in Renwick which is in the heart of the wine fields.

Picton

Borrowed bikes from the B&B and, despite the continuing strong wind, cycled off to visit some of the nearby wine cellars. There was a huge number to choose from. First stop was Georges Michel which, as the name suggests, is owned by a Frenchman. Here we had a delicious lunch in the attached French Bistro, before sampling their wines. All delicious with a definite French influence. Selected a bottle of Rosé (the first NZ Rosé we've really liked) as our purchase here.

Cycling in Bladen Vineyard

Next cellar we visited was Bladen. A small "boutique" winery, owned and run by a couple from Wellington who decided to realise their dreams. Tasting was done by the wife, who recounted the story of how they started up and all the hard work they have had to put in. Nice to have the personal touch. Here we were seduced by one of their red wines, a Merlot/Malbec. The most expensive wine we have bought to date and definitely coming home with us.

Marlborough Vineyard with backdrop of mountains

The third cellar we visited, Gibson Bridge, is the smallest cellar in Marlborough and is also a husband/wife concern. This time it was the husband who was running the tasting (while the wife was doing the books) and he was clearly passionate about the quality and individuality of their wines. Their speciality was Pinot Gris, of which they had multiple versions and vintages and it was hard to decide which we liked best but eventually, a bottle of the 2010 Reserve was added to our bicycle panniers.

Having sampled 6 or 7 wines at each of the cellars, it was fortunate that we were not far from the B&B and a bit of R&R before dinner. It was a wonderful afternoon, cycling in the sunshine from vineyard to vineyard, and we saw and met several other couples doing the same thing. The area is very flat and there are lots of cellars close to one another, so it is ideal for cycling. Had dinner at a restaurant nearby. Our B&B hosts were kind enough to drive us there and then pick us up again, so some more wine could be consumed with dinner.