Discover six tempting wine experiences to keep your glass topped up well into the new year. Photo / 123rf
Discover six tempting wine experiences to keep your glass topped up well into the new year. Photo / 123rf
You know what they say, the Christmas period 'tis the season to eat, drink and be merry'. And it must be true because it's printed on the platter plates you're munching festive nuts off - and likely the napkins, too.
With that in mind, take it as gospel and followsuit. Here are a handful of wine experiences that err more on the unusual side - so your next vino vacay is both merry-making and memorable.
The NZ trail with as much wine as walking
The Four Barrels Wine Trail is a walk with everything; beautiful Central Otago scenery, boutique wineries with fascinating backstories, interesting people and some of the world's best wines.
You'll want to allocate a full day to this 8km, booze-infused walk, which is both a delightful trek and an oenophile's dream...
Scott Base is part of the Allan Scott Family Winemakers' empire, with a percentage of sales donated to the Antarctic Heritage Trust. Photo / James Jubb, Tourism Central Otago
The Wairarapa wine trail by campervan
There's some "funky stuff" growing inside some of Lance Redgwell's wine barrels and he's absolutely thrilled about it.
Another of the barrels in his Wairarapa winery is made of tōtara. It's large enough to drive a Mini into and as far as Lance knows, is the only native timber being used to age wine.
Lance is part mad-scientist, with painted toenails, using his Cambridge Road winery to push back against mass wine production, and part renowned vintner in a linen shirt using eco-farming principles to make some of the most interesting wines in the region.
A motorhome is a great way to mix wining with driving - as long as you're parked up for the night. Photo / Destination Wairarapa
New Zealand's oldest vineyards
On September 25 1819, the Anglican missionary Reverend Samuel Marsden recorded planting the first grapevines in New Zealand in the grounds of the Stone Store, Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands. Sadly these never produced wine, allegedly being gobbled by local goats. Nevertheless, the promise that Marsden perceived for wine in Aotearoa has now been amply proven and can be experienced alongside its history at vinous milestones that span the length of the country.
Drink up NZ's rich history with a trip to one of our venerable vineyards...
Earlier this year, this New Zealand wine tour was voted Top Wine Experience in the world by travel website Tripadvisor's Travellers' Choice awards. The award is a result of all the reviews logged in 2020.
The tour is a five-hour sightseeing and wine tasting experience, led by a trained wine master, travelling in a luxury Mercedes through wineries such as Gibbston Valley, Kinross and Mount Rosa.
Gibbston Valley in autumn. Photo / Destination Queenstown
A New Zealand Great Walk that rewards with wine
Obviously the Aussies were awestruck, but even the Norwegian was impressed. "Your scenery is more dramatic than ours," Vegard conceded, grudgingly. The only Kiwi in the group, I was happy to take full credit; but Ultimate Hikes deserved their share too.
We had just spent four days in mid-December walking the Milford Track, doing what independent trampers call the cushy version. Scoffing probably makes them feel better as, bent under their heavy packs, they trudge from one basic DoC hut to the next — but we walked every step they did, saw the same scenery, got the same sense of accomplishment. The difference was each night we could toast our achievement with a glass of fine wine before a three-course dinner and a peaceful night in a comfortable bed.
Walkers on the Milford Track, one of New Zealand's Great Walks. Photo / Supplied
Get prepped for Pinot Noir Day
August 18 marks International Pinot Noir Day. Possibly the greatest day on the calendar for a wine lover.
With New Zealand regions such as Martinborough and Central Otago famous for the tipple, it's a great week to think about your next stop - or stay - at the country's greatest wineries.
Trip Notes podcast Host Lorna Riley tells Ryan where the best places to be are this Matariki, and the rise of dark sky destinations. Video / Herald NOW
