Of a Road Trip - Part Two

The Marlborough Wine Tour!Today was the day I set aside for discovering the joy of Marlborough vineyards. I am writing this with a slight fuzziness...!!I was collected by Colleen of Highlight Wine Tours at 10am.We tasted Sauvingon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurtztraminer, Pinot Noir and Merlot/Malbec over the course of the day.The first vineyard was Lawson’s Dry Hills. It was a great start to the day. It was cool seeing a truck deliver a load of Pinot Gris grapes.The next stop was Wither Hills. Fantastic Tasting Room/Venue. The wine was excellent across all varieties. We were served by Elaine, who instinctively seemed to know that I was someone you could give shit to. It’s true, but really? Within the first two minutes??Then on to Hunter’s Wines. One of the first established vineyards in the region. Nice location and a strong emphasis on Art, with an on-site artist in studio and really great pieces around the property.Lunch and tasting #4 was at Wairau River Wines. Stunning location, amazingly good food and terrific wines. I loved spending time there.We then moved on to The Vines Village - its a collective of artisan stores. We had a tasting at Bouldevines - somewhat subdued as we were all filled with happy tummies. Also in the village was Prenzel (fantastic liqueurs, spirits, oils and vinaigrettes) and a fudge store.The final vineyard for the day was Bladen. Loved this one. Incredibly good quality wines, and it was cool having the owner take us through their wines. Lots of passion is evident here and it shines through in the wine.The final stop for the day was Makana. They’re boutique Chocolatiers. I’m a little suspicious of the practice of getting us all somewhat tipsy and then delivering us in a handcart to a chocolate shop!!All in all, fantastic day. I totally recommend doing a tour like this and I thoroughly enjoyed the professionalism of Highlight. I do think that by about the fourth stop, all the wines start to blur somewhat, so ensuring you don't start walking into things becomes the priority. I loved making the acquaintance of an Aussie couple, an American couple and four from the UK.- Simon