About This Experience

Marlborough produces over 77% of New Zealand's wine, and in winter the bottles are still marching up the production line — which is exactly when a private invitation for a look behind the scenes sometimes appears. This custom group day for one to six guests covers the sensational wines, the landscapes and the cuisine, with cellar doors and hosts knowing you're coming. Lunch might be farmed green-lip mussels or salmon, North Canterbury lamb, venison or the pork belly, at spots with high views over the Wairau Valley — at times all the way to Wellington on the North Island's tip. Gourmet treats run from local cheeses, oils and liqueurs to garlic noir, manuka honey and chilli peanut butter, with Makana Boutique Chocolate Confections waiting at the front door. • Door-to-door pick-up: Picton 10:30am, Blenheim 11:00am • Cellar door tastings — most wineries open every day bar Christmas Day and Easter Friday • Optional Omaka Aviation Heritage Museum: Peter Jackson's WW1 and WW2 aircraft displays • Art galleries, award-winning gardens, or a jet boat ride on the Sounds (captain availability; charges apply on the day) • Snow on the Kaikoura Ranges, a ski field two hours' drive away, and crystal-clear lake walks in native bush As the day closes, your guide Pamela has recommendations for evening dining — or a brewery with pizza, or a special town corner for more wine and tapas.

Highlights

• ✓Custom winter day for groups of one to six, door-to-door from Picton or Blenheim
• ✓Cellar doors where hosts know you're coming — with a possible behind-the-scenes look
• ✓Lunch options from green-lip mussels and salmon to North Canterbury lamb and pork belly
• ✓Optional stops: Omaka Aviation Heritage Museum, galleries, gardens or a jet boat ride

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