Planning a trip to Marlborough, New Zealand? This guide will provide you with all you need to know for what to do in Marlborough.
Background
Marlborough, New Zealand, is a region on New Zealand’s South Island known primarily for its wine. The region produces around 75% of the country’s wine, the majority being sauvignon blanc. The NZ wine website has a great breakdown of the region’s wine production here if you’re interested. if you’re a fan of wine, then marlborough should definitely be on your bucket list and the below guide will ensure you experience all the best parts of it!
getting there
if you’re on a South Island roadtrip, then it’s pretty easy to add marlborough to your itinerary as it’s located on New zealand’s major highway, highway 1. it’s also not too far from other popular stops (e.g., less than 2 hours from Kaikōura and 4 hours from Christchurch).
It’s also accessible by flying – there are flights into Blenheim from Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington (we flew from Auckland).
stay
Blenheim is the best area to stay in in Marlborough. It’s a small town with plenty of hotel / airbnb options and only minutes away from many of marlborough’s best wineries.
We stayed at the Carnmore Chateau Marlborough in Blenheim and their suite was great for the three of us (myself, my mom, and my dad). The tin hut is also apparently an awesome place to stay (according to a couple on our wine tour and our tour guide).
drink
Marlborough is all about the wine, so that’s what our one full day in the region consisted of! We did a half day wine tour with Marlborough Discovery Wine Tours, which I highly recommend doing. The half day tour includes pick-up/drop-off from your hotel, a lunch stop at one winery (lunch cost not included), and up to 3 additional winery visits. we visited Allan Scott winery, No. 1 Family Estate, Gibson Bridge Winery, and Framingham wines – all of which i recommend visiting and are recapped below.
Allan Scott Winery
This family-owned winery has a lovely atmosphere and lunch scene. We came here on a Tuesday and it was packed! The food was very good – my dad claims they had the best mussels he’s ever had. We also did their wine tasting at lunch, which I recommend doing!
No. 1 Family Estate
No. 1 Family Estate was started by champagne maker Daniel Le Brun, a frenchman who moved to new zealand to produce Méthode Traditionelle (aka Champagne, but in New Zealand) wines in Marlborough. This was a fun and unique stop on our wine tour, and we really loved all of the wines we tried.
Gibson Bridge Winery
Gibson Bridge is a retirement project for a couple in their 70s from Auckland, but there is nothing laid back about their operation. They specialize in two varietals – pinot gris and Gewürztraminer – and they have strict quality standards in place to ensure only the best grapes are used in their wines. Most people think a Pinot Gris is too sweet (myself being one of them), but Gibson Bridge’s Pinot gris was fantastic! not too sweet at all. The Wine tasting here is also a lot of fun and run by the woman of the couple who started the winery.
Framingham Wines
Framingham has a relaxed, laid back atmosphere and amazing wines. We sat at one of their outdoor tables, which had views of their courtyard and the nearby mountains. loved their rose and their Riesling was surprisingly great! not overly sweet like we are used to in the states.
eat
Blenheim is a pretty small town, so the restaurant options are a little slim relative to other places I’ve visited. regardless, we still found some great breakfast and dinner spots. the wineries are the best places to go for lunch!
- Herb + Olive. We ate breakfast here both mornings – great service, coffee, and food!
- Raupo. one of the nicer sit down restaurant options, and near the city center. sit outside if it’s nice enough – there are beautiful views of the river and surrounding areas.
- Gramado’s. We didn’t make it here this trip, but it is supposed to be amazing. a bit farther from the city center, so best to go if you have a car.
- Scotch wine bar. We had pre-dinner drinks at Scotch, and really liked the atmosphere. their food is also apparently very good.
Questions or comments?
let me know below!
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