Chefs Private Martinborough Wine Tour with lunch from Wellington

Begin at the meet and greet hub for Wellington tourism, then travel from Wellington to the Wairarapa region via the Remutaka hill road. After about 75 minutes, the route reaches a photo stop at 555 metres above sea level, with wide views across the Wairarapa.

In Martinborough, the day focuses on small scale wine making and direct access to the people behind it. One stop includes meeting the winemaker and walking through the vines to learn about wine making and the seasonal variation of Martinborough. Tastings here include Pinot Noir, Merlot, a Pinot and Merlot Rosé blend, Semillon and Chardonnay, served with organic Wairarapa cheese and olives. The estate is described as a micro producer making no more than 20,000 bottles of Bordeaux and Burgundy style wine each year.

At Coney Wines, meet winemaker Lisa Coney and taste Alsace style wines alongside a 2024 Pinot Noir from the Te Muna Valley. A shared gourmet lunch features locally sourced dishes such as arancini, slow cooked beef cheeks, lamb rump, beetroot, spinach and walnut salad, and crunchy cornflake prawns.

The tasting continues at Luna Estate with a guided vertical of Pinot Noir, including 2016, 2018, 2020 Eclipse, 2020 Silver River and 2021. Back in Martinborough village, the Union Jack shaped town square reflects the town’s origins under John Martin, with Alsace varieties such as Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewurztraminer still part of the local story.