NZ

Martinborough

We came here to taste some wine and this is what we did today: WINE TASTINGS and the intonation is on “s”.

Did you know … fact 8 …? 

About Martinborough

In only three decades, Martinborough has transformed from a sleepy colonial town to world-class wine village, taking an enviable, attention-grabbing collection of international awards from 1990.

Pinot noir is Martinborough’s flagship wine: its elegance and style made Martinborough’s international reputation.  Yet there is so much more to the district, the mineral-laden soils and cool climate nurturing a remarkable range of award-winning varietals.

Distinctive sauvignon blanc with tropical fruit flavours overlaid with minerality, elegant full-flavoured chardonnay, appealingly aromatic riesling and pinot gris; and the emerging, gentle Rhone-like syrah are all local winners, adding depth and complexity to the Martinborough story.

Wine writers and makers agree that structure, complexity, fruit sweetness and balance set Martinborough wines apart.

Accounting for only one percent of New Zealand’s wine production, from approximately 3 percent of New Zealand’s total plantings by hectare, Martinborough has a boutique Burgundian style.

Wines from the region are considered to have excellent concentration, texture and depth.  Historically low cropping levels and the area’s unique soil and climate provide these qualities.

Comparisons with Burgundy, the classic home of pinot noir, abound.  With more than vineyards in less than 700 hectares, most are family-owned and passionately tended. Scientific research shows these similarities are strong.

earlier… [fact 1] [fact 2] [fact 3] [fact 4] [fact 5] [fact 6] [fact 7]

We visited 5 vineyards, tasted about 25 wines, bought nothing but a glass of jam and were given a bottle of Chardonnay (value 40 Dollars) as a gift. The beauty of this region? One doesn’t have to drive for a long time to get from one producer to the next. Sometimes they are on opposite sides of the road. We just went into the i-center in town and got ourselves a map and the opening hours.

These were the ones we visited:

Wine is something very personal, but what I loved about today was the fact that we could try different wines, we talked to the producer first hand, we learned a lot about wine and wine making and .. well time just flew and boy was I glad that there was no police – alcohol – test – control on our way home. 🙂 My special recommendation? Make a booking at Poppies (not to be disappointed, when all the tables are taken), enjoy their amazing vineyard platter, and while you taste their wines listen to Poppy herself when she talks about the wines as her babies.