Location: Martinborough
Top Things to do in Martinborough
Top 10 Things to do in Martinborough, New Zealand
Martinborough (Māori: Wharekaka) is a town in the South Wairarapa District, in the Wellington region of New Zealand. It is 65 kilometres east of Wellington and 35 kilometres south-west of Masterton. The town has a resident population of 1,640 (June 2017).
Restaurants in Martinborough
1. Poppies Martinborough
Overall Ratings
5 based on 140 reviews
Poppies Martinborough is the tasting room cellar door for our wines we serve a simple but beautiful vineyard platter for lunch that we believe will enhance our wines
Reviewed By CarolDM1900 - Montpelier, Vermont
Poppies has it all. Start with the fact that the proprietors themselves lead the wine tastings. The Hammonds -- Shayne the viticulturist and Poppy the winemaker -- take turns "presenting" their wines to visitors with all the color and passion that you'd expect from the people who built this Enterprise. Their love of the product, and of the land that makes it possible, comes through clearly in very engaging introductions to their lovely small-batch wines.
Shayne hosted on the day we visited. His knowledge and commitment were impressive as he explained what he and Poppy were trying to achieve with each wine we tasted. This added a lot to our understanding and our enjoyment. Initially planning to pick up a bottle or two, my husband and I took away half a case and were able to work out with him how to order more for direct shipment to our home, since these wines produced in small quantity are not sold in outside commercial establishments. Here, they sell out fast, so if you find something you like, try to get it sooner rather than later. On the day we visited, 5 items from The Wine List were stamped "sold out."
The food here was great, too. After the tasting, we and our friends selected a few bottles for the table and sat down to enjoy the flavorful seasonal vineyard platters we'd pre-ordered, each with more than a dozen selections pairing beautifully with the wines we'd chosen. The cheeses were exceptional, and next time around we'll definitely have to select from the "Over the Moon" cheese menu, with its "OMG Black Truffle Oil Brie" and Creamy Blue.
Poppies is a delight to the eyes as well as to the palate, with rooms both grand and cozy, all of them thoughtfully designed with natural viewpoints and comfortably attractive furnishings. This is one of the prettiest venues for wine tasting that we've found, not at all surprising given the attention to every detail by the amiable, hard-working proprietors. The place is special because they are special. What they have created here is beautiful and memorable.
As a bonus, if your drive on the Wine Trail includes Wellington, you will be treated to a spectacular ride over steep, winding SH2 as it crosses over ridges of the Rimutaka and Tararua ranges, reaching a high point of 940 m (3080 ft). You can stop at the Rimutaka Crossing Outlook for an expansive view of these wild-looking Mountains, between Featherston and the Hutt Valley.
It all adds up to a perfect day, something not-to-be-missed when visiting Martinborough.
2. Martinborough Brewery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 60 reviews
A boutique brewery located in the heart of Martinborough. Our beer is hand crafted with care and attention to detail by people with a passion for their product and region. Visit our well appointed tasting room and sample beer direct from the on-site brewery.
Reviewed By Gavatron07 - Napier, New Zealand
We've been here several times and really enjoy stopping in and chilling out with some good brews during visits to the region. We were lucky this time that even on a pretty cold, rainy weekend in the southern Wairarapa we managed to enjoy a sunny winter's afternoon cycling around Martinborough visiting a couple of wineries before finishing at this spot.
As a craft beer fan I find the beers solid and well-made rather than exciting, but I guess the owners know their market and cater to it, and I keep coming back!
It was very pleasant sitting outside enjoying a tasting tray of mostly dark beers before taking something away.
3. Palliser Estate
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 67 reviews
The first Winery you come to on State Highway 53 as you enter Martinborough. Look for the white gates on your left. We offer tastings and sales 7 days a week. In Summer, our Chef prepares beautiful fresh platters and lunch offerings to match with our wines. Enjoy a glass or two and friendly game of Petanque in the sun.
Reviewed By CarolDM1900 - Montpelier, Vermont
If you're looking for a quirky, small-batch wine-tasting experience, this isn't it. But it's worth your while to come here to see how the "big guys" do it and to taste their award winning wines. Palliser Estate still considers itself a "boutique" winery, but one with an international outlook. Founded in 1984, it has a CEO and is now a "top-ten" exporter of NZ wines. By local standards, it's pretty large. This is a highly professional operation, in a sleek, modern setting surrounded by vines fairly bursting with lush-looking grapes when we were there.
Our hostess may have given the same talk many times, but she retained a friendly freshness that we found thoroughly engaging, and the tasting selections were varied and appealing. We particularly liked the range of wines available for purchase, everything from the "approachable" 2016 Pencarrow production to the Palliser Estate's maturing classics, including "The Great Dog" series Pinot Noir. We were very happy to be able to buy a bottle of "The Great Ted" (2014) pinot noir, named for a beloved Labrador, to save for an upcoming family celebration. Not every vineyard or winery has such things on hand; those producing small-batch wines sell out quickly. Palliser's more substantial production gives visitors the possibility of scoring one of the great "blasts from the past."
Although we didn't stop for lunch here, it being well before the noon hour when we visited, we know that Palliser Estate has recently added a food service, and we would expect to find it as highly professional as everything else we experienced here. We had a very good time here, and recommend you stop by for a tasting if you visit Martinborough.
The vineyards and wineries are clustered around the town center, so it's easy to get around, and there are helpful maps at the local I-site visitor information center. We were a group of friends who rented a van and driver to get us here from Wellington via scenic SH2, which winds through high peaks and ridges between Lower Hutt and Featherston. There are also organized wine-tasting tours that you can join.
4. Ata Rangi Martinborough
Overall Ratings
4 based on 56 reviews
Ata Rangi, meaning "dawn sky" or "new beginning" is a small New Zealand winery with a big reputation for serious Pinot Noir. Located at the southern end of the North Island, it is owned and managed by a family trio - Clive Paton, his wife Phyll and his sister Alison - with star winemaker Helen Masters and Vineyard Manager Gerry Rotman. Ata Rangi is well established in 25 international markets and has an enviable reputation as one of the New World's most respected Pinot Noir producers."...the long-serving, dedicated team behind Ata Rangi just go from strength to strength. Their Pinots have always been great and yet, even in a world where the Pinot benchmark gets higher every year, Ata Rangi is better than ever." Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, April 2013
Reviewed By haileythegolden - Canada
We tasted 5 different wines, our favourite Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon blanc were our favourites. It is a beautiful estate and glad we visited this winery.
5. Te Kairanga Wines
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 61 reviews
Reviewed By drjandthemissus - Dubai
Good wines that are available all over. Pretty setting for the cellar door. They also have gin, but we weren't able to try it. Friendly staff.
6. Colombo Winegrowers
Overall Ratings
5 based on 19 reviews
Reviewed By Marie J
We have lived in Martinborough for a year and hadn't been here before for "no menu night" which happens once a month. We went last Friday for their Mexican no menu night and will be back every month! Wonderful food, ambience, service and of course lovely wine. Amazing how they had set the venue up with trestle tables, candles, mood lights and great music. Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and loved the vibe at Colombo. Thank you so much for a great night! Highly recommended.
7. Schubert Wines
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 59 reviews
A world search, which also included France, Germany, North and South America as well as Australia for the ideal area with perfect conditions for viticulture, especially for Pinot Noir, brought Kai Schubert and Marion Deimling, graduates of the German Viticulture and Oenology University in Geisenheim to the Wairarapa, New Zealand. Schubert vineyards are closely planted and the unique climate produces low yields and internationally award winning wines with intense and complex character; predominantly exported to currently 25 countries.
Reviewed By preshsteph - Isle of Arran
We had a great experience with Neil, very knowledgeable and he took time to chat with us even though we came in late in the day! We ended buying the 2013 syrah at the wine shop per his recommendation, as they were out of stock there :)
8. Margrain Vineyard
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 40 reviews
Reviewed By Kevin B - Ottawa, Canada
Very nice Vineyards. Did some wine tasting as well as visited some market booths on their grounds. Very enjoyable visit. There was also line entertainment provided.
9. Martinborough Vineyard
Overall Ratings
4 based on 38 reviews
Martinborough Vineyard was established in 1980 with the objective of producing world class Pinot Noir and other classic cool climate wines. Martinborough Vineyard is a pioneer of Pinot Noir in New Zealand and a founder of the Martinborough region. Our Cellar Door is open daily.
Reviewed By Gavatron07 - Napier, New Zealand
Even in winter there are plenty of options for winery visits in Martinborough and we're glad that one of the couple we selected to visit was Martinborough Vineyards. The cellar door person was engaging and knowledgeable and made for an enjoyable visit.
There were plenty of wines in their range to try. It's not that volume was the issue, it's that it was good to be given the option of trying a number of their white and red wines to get a feel for the winery's style.
I took away a barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc that I haven't seen elsewhere as a memento.
10. Haythornthwaite Wines
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 22 reviews
Small boutique vineyard presenting Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and our speciality Gewurztraminer. Situated in the Martinborough Terraces appellation, we are open 7 days a week during summer and 6 days during winter. Closed in winter on a Tuesday. Summer hours are 11am - 6pm 7 days a week. Platter food available, wine by the glass and a full tasting of 9 wines.
Reviewed By EscapingParents - Wellington, New Zealand
Haythornthwaite winery wasn't on our list, but opportunity found us sitting in the outdoor area of Haythornthwaite vineyard. The day was perfect so we were looking forward to another tasting session. I realise that wine is a personal preference, so this review is about the service and setting rather than whether we enjoyed the wine. The hosts are lovely - and it would be fine if they were your uncle and aunty and you were in their courtyard and you weren't a paying customer. It feels a bit like stepping into a hoarders backyard. Piles of boxes of wine stacked in the bathroom - old caravans with overgrown grass growing underneath. It's very cluttered and everything feels a bit grubby and not at all professional. We didn't stick around to finish the tasting as it was all taking too long and half way through the host had to dash out to buy more bread. There plenty of better vineyards to go to before heading to this one.
