Luxury tailormade touring holiday of New Zealand's wine regions in 8 nights including boutique hotel stays.
Highlights
Hawke’s Bay • Mission Estate • Clearview Estate • Martinborough • Blenheim • Montana • Kaikoura • Christchurch
Day by day
From Auckland or elsewhere in New Zealand arrive at Napier and the Hawke’s Bay wine producing area. Collect your hire-car.
Explore the wineries of this traditionally dry and sunny region, famous for its chardonnay but also producing cabernet sauvignon. Some of the most established in the region include Mission Estate and Te Mata Estate and have been joined by more recent ventures including Sileni Estates (also with a good restaurant, wine education centre and shop), CJ Pask winery, Black Barn and Craggy Range. Many offer visits and tastings and some have excellent restaurants.
On your second day in the region, perhaps try to visit Clearview Estate, a vineyard on the coast that produces small quantities of hand-made wines or visit the vineyards of the Gimblett Gravels, a small area producing fine full bodied red wines.
Drive through the rolling farming country southwards to the Wairarapa region and the pretty town of Martinborough.
The beauty of the day here is that most of Martinborough’s 20 or so excellent wineries are within walking distance of the town centre. Pinot noir is the grape here and whilst this is one of New Zealand’s newest wine producing areas, the quality of the wine from this area is superb.
An easy drive into Wellington and then make the short flight of about 30 minutes over to Blenheim. Collect your hire-car in Blenheim.
Spend two days at the vastly important Marlborough wine region amid the dry country of the Wairau valley around Blenheim. Vineyards stretch for miles with today easily recognisable names such as Montana, Hunter’s, Cloudy Bay and Stoneleigh. There are in fact about 50 wineries in this area, many of them producing the sauvignon blanc associated with the region but also chardonnay, riesling, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon. Sparkling wines are also produced here with Le Brun specialising in ‘méthode traditionnelle’ sparkling wines.
On your second day in the region, perhaps visit the Montana Brancott Visitor Centre which covers all aspects of wine production.
A full day’s drive today, allowing time for a lunch stop in Kaikoura. The scenery is breath-taking here as snow-clad mountains seem to rise straight up from the sea across the bay. This is quite a spectacle as you see seals basking in front of you on the beach, the waters of the Pacific gleaming in the sun and the snowy mountain peaks forming a backdrop to the vista. Continue south, skirting the Waipara wine country and enter the flat farmland of the fertile Canterbury Plains before reaching Christchurch and the end of the wine taster tour. From here fly back to Auckland or perhaps travel on to Queenstown or Mount Cook.
I enjoyed every minute of the tour. Cindy-Marie was simply fantastic and her knowledge, kindness and humour was all that I could have asked for. This was a first class experience. Thank you for making it all happen.Customer on Tuscan wine tour, June 2022
Holiday price guide From about £2,690 per person based on two people sharing a double room and including for economy flights from London.
Holiday Code NZSG04
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury tailormade touring holiday of New Zealand's wine regions in 8 nights including boutique hotel stays.
From Auckland or elsewhere in New Zealand arrive at Napier and the Hawke’s Bay wine producing area. Collect your hire-car.
Explore the wineries of this traditionally dry and sunny region, famous for its chardonnay but also producing cabernet sauvignon. Some of the most established in the region include Mission Estate and Te Mata Estate and have been joined by more recent ventures including Sileni Estates (also with a good restaurant, wine education centre and shop), CJ Pask winery, Black Barn and Craggy Range. Many offer visits and tastings and some have excellent restaurants.
On your second day in the region, perhaps try to visit Clearview Estate, a vineyard on the coast that produces small quantities of hand-made wines or visit the vineyards of the Gimblett Gravels, a small area producing fine full bodied red wines.
Drive through the rolling farming country southwards to the Wairarapa region and the pretty town of Martinborough.
The beauty of the day here is that most of Martinborough’s 20 or so excellent wineries are within walking distance of the town centre. Pinot noir is the grape here and whilst this is one of New Zealand’s newest wine producing areas, the quality of the wine from this area is superb.
An easy drive into Wellington and then make the short flight of about 30 minutes over to Blenheim. Collect your hire-car in Blenheim.
Spend two days at the vastly important Marlborough wine region amid the dry country of the Wairau valley around Blenheim. Vineyards stretch for miles with today easily recognisable names such as Montana, Hunter’s, Cloudy Bay and Stoneleigh. There are in fact about 50 wineries in this area, many of them producing the sauvignon blanc associated with the region but also chardonnay, riesling, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon. Sparkling wines are also produced here with Le Brun specialising in ‘méthode traditionnelle’ sparkling wines.
On your second day in the region, perhaps visit the Montana Brancott Visitor Centre which covers all aspects of wine production.
A full day’s drive today, allowing time for a lunch stop in Kaikoura. The scenery is breath-taking here as snow-clad mountains seem to rise straight up from the sea across the bay. This is quite a spectacle as you see seals basking in front of you on the beach, the waters of the Pacific gleaming in the sun and the snowy mountain peaks forming a backdrop to the vista. Continue south, skirting the Waipara wine country and enter the flat farmland of the fertile Canterbury Plains before reaching Christchurch and the end of the wine taster tour. From here fly back to Auckland or perhaps travel on to Queenstown or Mount Cook.
I enjoyed every minute of the tour. Cindy-Marie was simply fantastic and her knowledge, kindness and humour was all that I could have asked for. This was a first class experience. Thank you for making it all happen.Customer on Tuscan wine tour, June 2022
Holiday price guide From about £2,690 per person based on two people sharing a double room and including for economy flights from London.
Holiday Code NZSG04
Our prices include
● Return scheduled flights with British Airways, Qantas, Air New Zealand or Emirates from London to Auckland, returning from Christchurch to London in economy class
● 3 nights’ bed and breakfast in Hawke’s Bay
● 2 nights’ bed and breakfast in Martinborough
● 3 nights’ bed and breakfast in Blenheim
● Car hire where specified in our itinerary
● The meals included with your tour will vary by chosen accommodation. Please see our hotel suggestions for included board basis.
● Concierge service and Expressions Holidays regional helpful hints
Our prices do not include
● Early check-in or late check-out at any hotels (although we can arrange this on request at additional cost)
● Any other services not mentioned above, such as transfers and meals except breakfast at hotels
● Personal holiday insurance. This is essential and cover should be in place from when you book the holiday.
● Local tourist tax, payable locally to the hotel
● Visa and Passport. You will need a full British passport with at least six months validity. Until 30 September 2019 you do not need a Visa for travel to New Zealand as a British Passport will allow the holder a six month stay upon arrival. From 1 October 2019 you will need a visa which can be arranged easily on-line. More information available here: https://www.newzealand.com/uk/visas-and-immigration/
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury tailormade touring holiday of New Zealand's wine regions in 8 nights including boutique hotel stays.
Breckenridge Lodge is an exclusive, 5-star luxury lodge in a beautiful rural location. Part of the NZ luxury lodges gourmet trail in the heart of wine country, with a focus on sustainability, it offers guests a deliciously tranquil experience.
Guest Suite
The Martinborough Hotel is an exclusive historic hotel full of character and charm, in an excellent location in the heart of an excellent wine growing region. Cosy and comfortable accommodation and delicious cuisine afford guests a relaxing and restorative experience.
Garden Suite
The Bell Tower on Dog Point is a luxury boutique Bed and Breakfast in a rustic farmhouse on the Dog Point Vineyards, with stunning vistas over the winery, Marlborough's Richmond Range, and the Wairau Plain.
Self-catering French Barn
I enjoyed every minute of the tour. Cindy-Marie was simply fantastic and her knowledge, kindness and humour was all that I could have asked for. This was a first class experience. Thank you for making it all happen.Customer on Tuscan wine tour, June 2022
Holiday price guide From about £2,690 per person based on two people sharing a double room and including for economy flights from London.
Holiday Code NZSG04
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury tailormade touring holiday of New Zealand's wine regions in 8 nights including boutique hotel stays.
About Nelson and Abel Tasman
An Expressions tailor-made holiday to Nelson and Abel Tasman encompasses a coastal and cultural region of New Zealand. This northernmost part of New Zealand's South Island is much favoured by visitors with its centre at Nelson, home to a multitude of painters, jewellers, potters, woodworkers and textile artists, its gently sloping vineyards, mild climate and outstandingly beautiful Abel Tasman National Park, accessible only by boat or on foot and full of miles of golden bays, rocky outcrops, lush, green interior. Behind Nelson rise the peaks of the tip of the Southern Alps and in between nestle the lakes of Rotoiti and Rotoroa. In this region, perhaps even more so than in other parts of New Zealand, you are very aware of the proximity of coast and mountains with fertile pastures, orchards and vineyards in between. Sheep rearing and fruit growing, fishing and mountain tramping all co-exist.
Highlights of Nelson and Abel Tasman
Spend at least one full day in the Abel Tasman approached from the water passing Split Apple rock, stopping perhaps at Anchorage Bay and seeing the seal colony at Tonga Rock, Whale watch at Kaikoura, See the seal colony at Ohau Point north of Kaikoura, Visit the Suter Art Galley in Nelson and combine it with a visit to the vibrant market on a Saturday, Day trip to Farewell Spit, Visit the vineyards of Rimu Grove, Neudorf and Woollaston Estates at Upper Moutere and perhaps have lunch at Seifried at Appelby, Visit the studios of numerous artists in the area, Go to the WOW (World of Wearable Art) in Nelson and the adjoining Collectible Cars Gallery.
