Martinborough day of wine, sun and fun

Martinborough feels like the village time forgot, a place where a slower life is imbued by fine wine and toasted under the sun.
The reality is that the seductive old-world charm that has made this beautiful Wairarapa township such an attraction for wine-lovers and foodies was built the hard way.
The old village square was here, but many of the historic buildings surrounding it had to be lovingly restored and fitted out for a new life supporting one of New Zealand's premier wine regions.
Prior to the rise of wine, Martinborough basked in sunny isolation, ignored by the world.
That began to change when the first grape-growing pioneers, viewed rather suspiciously by the established agrarian landholders, began planting chardonnay, chenin blanc and gewurztraminer vines in 1978.
They were encouraged by a scientific report in 1979 showing that this part of New Zealand's Wairarapa region at the southeast of the North Island enjoys soils and climate remarkably similar to the top French wine regions.
Warm, dry summers have an average daytime temperature of 22.6C.
Winters are mild with an average daytime temperature of 11.3C.
We wake up in old-fashioned luxury at the beautifully restored Martinborough Hotel, established in 1882 and now a Peppers property. The hotel has a commanding position at the entrance to the square and houses 16 individually designed rooms which open to either a private veranda or courtyard.
Tempting as it is to laze away the morning in rooms featuring "settler luxury" like claw-foot baths and beds with crisp, quality linen, there are vineyards to discover.
Our exploration is on two wheels thanks to March Hare Cycling, based just along the road from Peppers at the Martinborough i-Site. For $65 a person, you are on your way with a top-quality bike, a map of the area and a delicious picnic from the local deli.
Martinborough has a warm microclimate, with the Rimutaka and Tararua mountain ranges to the west and the rugged Pacific coast to the east.
Vineyards are planted in a concentrated area of gravels to the north and east of the town, and on the Dry River to the south and specialise in cool-climate varieties such as pinot noir and riesling.
Within this tight wine-growing district is an even more precisely defined low-rainfall terroir of less than 1000ha, known as the Martinborough Terrace Appellation.
There are more than 20 vineyards surrounding Martinborough, but we opted for a modest schedule in order to enjoy our time bicycling through vine-covered countryside that in late summer looks and feels for all the world like a scene from the south of France.
It's worth referring to your map as not all vineyards have cellar doors open every day. Two that do and which we visited are Martinborough Vineyard and Te Kairanga.
Martinborough Vineyard on Princess St is a pioneer of the local industry. Its pinot noir was garnering gold medals as early as 1987 and the vineyard's long list of awards includes gold or silver for pinot at the International Wine Challenge in London on at least seven occasions.
For a relaxed picnic stop it's hard to go past Te Kairanga on Martins Rd, with its outdoor tables and chairs under shady trees beside the cellar door.
Indulge in a glass of one of its fine aromatic whites and rip into the tasty picnic you've been bicycling around the vineyards.
We rounded out our tour with a stop at Olivo, the oldest commercial olive grove in the Wairarapa. Planted in 1991, Olivo on Hinakura Rd has been making awarding-winning extra virgin olive oil since 2001.
It's a splendid place to take a tour of the grove, taste some of New Zealand's best olive oil or even make it part of a progressive picnic if you could not eat everything in your substantial hamper when stopped at Te Kairanga.
Back in Martinborough we take a tour of the town by foot. Martinborough takes its name from Irish immigrant John Martin, who bought the land in 1879 and named the streets, including Venice, Panama, Suez and New York, after his own world tour.
The central square and streets are laid out in a Union Jack pattern.
What better way to round out a day of pleasure than to have dinner back at Peppers Bistro. The food here is superb, as, of course, is the wine.
Try, however, to leave room for a bedtime dram in the library and malt whisky bar - just to complete that feeling of living in another time.
NEED TO KNOW

Peppers Martinborough Hotel
The Square, Martinborough
16 rooms
Bistro and bar
Conference facilities
Ph 06 306 9350
martinborough@peppers.co.nz
March Hare Cycling
$65 for hire of quality cycle and helmet,
Includes picnic and map
18 Kitchener St, Martinborough
Ph 06 306 5010
www.march-hare.co.nz