You're surrounded by vines in Marlborough. Photo / Supplied
You're surrounded by vines in Marlborough. Photo / Supplied
Shandelle Battersby learns why this region's sauvignon is famous around the world.
Trust a group of Marlboroughians to pull out delicious food and wine at any opportunity, even during a late-morning bush walk.
We'd paused during our exploration of Picton's Kaipupu Point wildlife sanctuary for a rest and chinwag when our guides magicked up a platter of cheese, fruit, nuts and chutney, and a bottle of the crisp and fruity sauvignon blanc the area is famous for.
A Beachcomber water taxi from Picton Marina had delivered us at Kaipupu's jetty after a picturesque journey of about 15 minutes around the point to Dolphin Bay. As we puttered slowly out of the harbour a friendly seal basking in the mid-morning sunshine lazily lifted a flipper and waved.
Kaipupu Pt is a mainland island, meaning its 40ha are joined to Picton, but is primarily accessible by boat.
The sanctuary's committee and scores of dedicated volunteers, who offer free guided walks, hope to restore vegetation to the formerly farmed area to encourage native fauna, including little blue penguins, tui, riroriro, fantails, kereru, robins and bellbirds.
Local businesses Mud House, King Salmon and Bluebridge have thrown their weight behind Kaipupu, which opened to the public in 2013 and also serves as an educational tool for schools.
In a sterling display of community support, the sanctuary's jetty, pest trapping, 600m predator-proof fence, and 2.7km circuit track have all been developed by volunteers via fundraising and grants.
A water taxi to the sanctuary costs $20 return, with a minimum of two people needed. It's recommended that you book ahead during busy periods, and you'll need to allow at least two hours on the island.
Our refreshment stop at Kaipupu marked the beginning of a gourmand mid-winter adventure through this pretty part of the South Island, accessed via ferry from Wellington to Picton, or Blenheim Airport, 25 minutes down the road.
If you want to be in among one of the area's top assets — the wine district — then you need to head for the "Golden Mile", less than 10 minutes from the airport and 15 minutes from Blenheim.
The view of Maud Island from Kaipupu Pt wildlife sanctuary. Photo / Supplied
Marlborough is where the rock stars of the New Zealand wine industry hail from: Allan Scott, Saint Clair, No 1 Family Estate, Giesen, Wither Hills, Seresin, Brancott Estate, Matua, Nautilus, Stoneleigh, Hunter's Wines, Cloudy Bay, Morton Estate ... the impressive list is long, and you'll find many of them in and around the Golden Mile.
The Marlborough Vintners Hotel is a good base from which to explore, especially by bike — the roads are flat and wide, and a new cycle path helps keep you out of harm's way.
The Vintners is a private, peaceful complex set among 2.4ha. Each of the 16 roomy suites has under-floor heating (essential for those cold Marlborough nights) and several come with a bright red 1930s claw-footed outdoor bath, and a basket of Forest and Bird bath salts and body lotion.
Once you're back from a day out exploring, you can relax in front of the roaring fire in the Vintners Room restaurant and stay put for some of the finest cuisine in Marlborough.
Using seasonal produce, including from his onsite potager garden, olive grove and orchard, young German chef David Haase (ex Wither Hills and Herzog Estate) creates superb fine dining dishes you can sample via his five-course degustation menu, paired with local wines.
Think Nelson scallops with sweetcorn veloute canapes, Marlborough Sounds green-lipped mussel chowder with salmon and dill, and venison striploin with polenta chips and winter veges including carrot, beetroot and kale.
Divine, and surprisingly light, thanks to an emphasis on keeping meals simple and fresh, not dripping with oil or sauce.
Our gourmand adventure continued the next morning with a trip into Blenheim to whip around the charming Marlborough Farmers' Market before heading back to Vintners to meet Karen Walshe from Explore Marlborough, which offers the area's only guided wine tours by bike.
Karen took us out for a relaxed but informative 5km half-day cycle tour, which visited the Framingham and Forrest wineries before heading to Wairau River Wines for a cracking lunch.
A morning frost of -3C had us in gloves and thermals but the skies were a clear, brilliant blue and the distant ranges were covered in snow.
The colours were beautiful: the bare vines — in the process of being pruned, by hand, back for spring — were a sea of russet against a backdrop of dark blues and greens, and the occasional splash of yellow foliage.
This is where it all began for New Zealand's wine industry in the 1970s, Karen told us, when vintners began to realise that Marlborough's warm days and cool nights paired with its unique soil added up to a zesty, fruity and herbaceous sauvignon blanc.
These days the area produces more than 70 per cent of New Zealand's wine.
From Kaipupu Pt to Wairau River Wines, our 24-hour taste of Marlborough was a grand entree to one of the country's prime food destinations.
Call in at Makana Confections, a boutique chocolatier that has been making its decadent treats from its Rapaura Rd premises for 10 years. Plenty of samples are on offer but make sure you have a nibble of the macadamia butter toffee crunch.
CHECKLIST
Getting there:Air New Zealand flies daily from Auckland to Blenheim.
