Latest news with #WineTourism
Times
13-06-2025
- Times
11 of the best vineyard stays in the UK
The reputation of British wine has followed a similar trajectory to that of British food: once an international joke, it is now celebrated at home and abroad. British sparkling wines beat their better-known rivals in blind tastings and global warming is prompting champagne houses to buy up the remaining chunks of southeast England that haven't already been converted into vineyards. The steep rise in wine quality has been matched by a huge growth in wine tourism — often embedded in landscapes so lush you might be forgiven for thinking you'd woken up in Napa Valley, not the home counties. Some have simple B&Bs offering little more than a vineyard tour and tasting (check timings before you book) while others have luxury hotels with a Michelin-starred restaurant. Wherever you spend the night, all have the same benefit: there's no argument about whose turn it is to be the designated driver for the evening. We'll toast to that. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue ££ | Best for a weekend of grapes, gardens and golf When the neglected gardens of Leonardslee House, a grade II listed Italianate pile near Horsham, were restored to their former glory in 2019, England's first pinotage vines had been planted among rhododendrons and azaleas a year previously. South Africa's emblematic grape goes into the Leonardslee Brut Rosé, one of three sparkling wines that have been making waves in the English wine world since the first release in 2024 and available to try in a sparkling wine masterclass. Staying in one of Leonardslee's ten floral-themed guest rooms, each showcasing a different British designer such as Nina Campbell or Christopher Farr, comes with a discount on green fees at the 9 and 18-hole courses of Mannings Heath Golf Club nearby, or spend your time wandering among the garden's seven lakes and admiring the contemporary sculptures while keeping an eye out for deer and wallabies, which were introduced on the estate in 1889. Either way, you'll need to work up an appetite for the 20-course tasting menu at the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant Interlude. • Discover our full guide to wine holidays £ | DOG-FRIENDLY | Best for English wine tourism done on a grand scale Denbies is one of the easiest vineyards to visit on a day trip from London (50 minutes from Waterloo) but to get the most out of England's largest wine estate, stay the night. The location at the foot of the rolling Surrey Hills is magical as the early morning mist lifts over the vines while there are 380 acres to explore. The Secret Vineyard Trail gives hotel guests access to areas usually off-limits to the public; there's also a Vineyard Train Tour for the less energetic, and indoor tastings if it's raining. The 17-room Denbies Vineyard Hotel is housed in a 19th-century farmhouse, converted with all mod cons; guests can dine in one of three restaurants with a pre-meal wine tasting, or book a private supper in a cabana in the garden. £ | Best for a romantic weekend away Gloucestershire might be best known as cider country but it's also home to one of England's oldest commercial vineyards. Three Choirs was planted as an experiment in 1973 and the original half-acre of vines now extends across 75 acres, just south of the Malvern Hills, ripe for long walks. The vineyards produce 12 white, red, rosé and sparkling wines, which can be sampled either on an afternoon self-guided wine tasting and vineyard walk, or with a member of the winemaking team to offer expert analysis; order a bottle of your favourite with a tapas supper in the Brasserie afterwards. The 11 guest rooms are designed with couples in mind; three glass-walled, wooden-framed vineyard lodges are set among the vines while the eight 'vineyard view' rooms come with a south-facing patio overlooking the valley. Whichever you book, there is sparkling wine and handmade chocolates on arrival, and peace and privacy throughout your stay. £ | Best for a sense of seclusion and an ultra-local ethos England isn't the only UK winemaking country: Wales produces award-winning vintages, too, including the still and sparkling white and sparkling blush made on the seven-acre Jabajak estate. The former droving farm sits on the edge of the Bluestone Mountains in the west of the principality, close to the coastal paths and beaches of Pembrokeshire National Park. Cellar door tastings take place in the evening, followed by a dinner of local produce in the relaxed restaurant; what can't be grown in the kitchen garden is foraged from the surrounding countryside or supplied by local fishmongers and farmers and turned into the likes of pan-fried venison with wild blackberry jus. Eight individually decorated guest rooms (think four-poster beds and freestanding tubs) include three suites; get to know your fellow guests with drinks by the pond or on the patio. • The UK's best Michelin starred restaurants with rooms££ | POOL | DOG-FRIENDLY | Best for a luxury hotel stay of grapes and gastronomy The Exeter-born chef Michel Caines has form in the West Country, winning two Michelin stars during his 21-year tenure at Gidleigh Park on Dartmoor. He opened his own hotel in this sun-drenched spot overlooking the Exe Estuary in 2017, where a Michelin-starred tasting menu can be paired with the trio of wines that Caines produces in his 10.8-acre vineyard. Roasted pigeon with celeriac and truffle purée partnered by a glass of Triassic Pinot Noir would be an excellent match. Lighter meals are served in the Pool House restaurant next to the hotel's outdoor swimming pool, while vineyard tours end with either lunch or afternoon tea. Sumptuously appointed guest rooms match the classical style of the Georgian house or, for something marginally more rustic, there are six shepherd's huts. The hotel has a tennis court and croquet lawn, or get out on the water with paddleboarding and kayaking or a cruise along the River Exe. £ | DOG-FRIENDLY | Best for a Welsh wine weekend close to Cardiff Sipping a glass of off-dry Cariad Poplar on the terrace at Llanerch, it's hard to believe that Cardiff city centre is only a half-hour drive down the M4. Rows of vines surround the original 19th-century farmhouse and modern 36-room hotel, while sheep drift across the green fields of the Vale of Glamorgan beyond like balls of cotton wool. Wine tastings offer the opportunity to try three of the Cariad wines made from grapes grown in the 6.5-acre vineyard, while Roots restaurant serves plates of local Welsh lamb and steak, as well as afternoon tea and Sunday roasts. Guest rooms range from huge suites to compact doubles; some are wheelchair accessible, and a couple are dog friendly. £ | DOG-FRIENDLY | Best for quirky accommodation Accidental winemakers David and Lexa Bailey bought the vineyard next door when they were concerned the land would become a caravan park. Instead of camper vans, three sensitively converted, light-filled cottages sleep two, four or eight guests at Wraxall, with a minimum two-night stay — no hardship when foodie Bruton and historic Glastonbury are on the doorstep. Couples and solo travellers could also consider the fully insulated shepherd's huts, complete with fitted kitchens, launching late summer 2025. Tours and tastings can be followed by a lunch of seasonal local ingredients in the View, with its floor-to-ceiling windows and huge terrace pointed towards the Somerset Levels; there are Thursday steak nights, Friday pizza nights and food trucks on a Sunday, with, of course, pairings of Wraxall's four still and sparkling wines. • Read our full guide to Somerset ££ | DOG-FRIENDLY | Best for sparkling sundowners in an outdoor tub The accommodation at this sparkling-wine specialist brings new meaning to the concept of pergola training. Guests stay in one of four treehouses suspended 6m off the ground overlooking the rows of vineyards stretching down to the banks of the River Test, with only badgers, birds and deer for company. Each light-filled treehouse is built using sustainable techniques and materials and furnished in a cosy version of Scandi chic — wood-burning stoves, wishbone chairs, snazzy bathrooms and kitchens — with the star attraction being an oversized zinc bathtub outside. The treehouse owner Wild Escapes works closely with the Black Chalk vineyard, with guests given a breakfast hamper of local produce and a bottle of Black Chalk Classic wine; there's more eating and drinking with vineyard tours and tastings that end with a lunch of cheese, charcuterie and smoked fish. When you've had your fill of vines, there are footpaths through the woodland, or go kingfisher spotting in theLongstock Park Water Garden. ££ | DOG-FRIENDLY | Best for an active rural retreat among the vines Imagine Center Parcs for oenophiles and you'll get the picture at Tinwood. The estate is dog-friendly, the South Downs are all around and mountain bike hire is free; try cycling to the cathedral city of Chichester if you're feeling especially athletic. Once back in your luxury lodge, give your muscles a soak in the two-person whirlpool bath before catching the sunset over the vines from your private deck. Feeling sociable? There's a communal barrel sauna hidden by trees and evening yoga among the vines. Vineyard tours, meanwhile, end with a tutored tasting of three glasses of Tinwood's award-winning sparkling wine. Seasonal small plates and Sunday roasts are served for lunch in the on-site Vineyard Kitchen, breakfast arrives in a hamper and there are decent pubs within cycling distance for supper. The Anglesey Arms, on the edge of the Goodwood Estate, serves classy comfort food. £ | DOG-FRIENDLY | Best for sparkling wines and stunning walks There are few nicer places to take a break from walking the South Downs Way than the Flint Barns, but the Rathfinny estate is much more than a bed and breakfast to park your rucksack for the night. The comfortably homely accommodation — ten double and family rooms feature iron bedsteads covered in thick blankets and even thicker mattresses — feels almost at odds with the sophistication of Rathfinny's sparkling wine, made from chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes hand-harvested in Sussex on the same chalky slopes found over the Channel in Champagne. Breakfast and supper are served in the Flint Barns, there are smart lunches in the Michelin-rated Tasting Room and small plates in alfresco wine bar the Hut with its view over wildflower-strewn vines to the sea sparkling through the trees beyond. £ | Best for feeling part of the family in a 16th-century farmhouse England has what viticulturalists call a marginal climate for wine production and nowhere is more marginal than North Yorkshire, home to the UK's most northerly vineyard, Ryedale. Still, Yorkshire folk are nothing if not bloody-minded (a compliment round here) and Jon and Michelle Fletcher are proud to make wine as artisanally as possible, with every aspect of production, from pruning to labelling, carried out by hand. Their son and wine manager Jack conducts tours with generous tastings and, though, there's no restaurant, there are two snug village pubs a mile or so away — the Jolly Farmers at Leavening and the Blacksmiths Arms at Westow — while the nearby market town of Malton announces itself as 'Yorkshire's food capital' on its welcome sign; try some sushi tacos at Forty Six. Be warned, though, that after a full Yorkshire breakfast served in the Ryedale farmhouse following a good night's sleep in one of the two en suite bedrooms upstairs, you may not need to eat for the rest of the day. • 100 of the best places to stay in the UK• The best places for a walk in the UK
Times
13-06-2025
- Times
11 of the best vineyard stays in Britain
The reputation of British wine has followed a similar trajectory to that of British food: once an international joke, it is now celebrated at home and abroad. British sparkling wines beat their better-known rivals in blind tastings and global warming is prompting champagne houses to buy up the remaining chunks of southeast England that haven't already been converted into vineyards. The steep rise in wine quality has been matched by a huge growth in wine tourism — often embedded in landscapes so lush you might be forgiven for thinking you'd woken up in Napa Valley, not the home counties. Some have simple B&Bs offering little more than a vineyard tour and tasting (check timings before you book) while others have luxury hotels with a Michelin-starred restaurant. Wherever you spend the night, all have the same benefit: there's no argument about whose turn it is to be the designated driver for the evening. We'll toast to that. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue ££ | Best for a weekend of grapes, gardens and golf When the neglected gardens of Leonardslee House, a grade II listed Italianate pile near Horsham, were restored to their former glory in 2019, England's first pinotage vines had been planted among rhododendrons and azaleas a year previously. South Africa's emblematic grape goes into the Leonardslee Brut Rosé, one of three sparkling wines that have been making waves in the English wine world since the first release in 2024 and available to try in a sparkling wine masterclass. Staying in one of Leonardslee's ten floral-themed guest rooms, each showcasing a different British designer such as Nina Campbell or Christopher Farr, comes with a discount on green fees at the 9 and 18-hole courses of Mannings Heath Golf Club nearby, or spend your time wandering among the garden's seven lakes and admiring the contemporary sculptures while keeping an eye out for deer and wallabies, which were introduced on the estate in 1889. Either way, you'll need to work up an appetite for the 20-course tasting menu at the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant Interlude. • Discover our full guide to wine holidays £ | DOG-FRIENDLY | Best for English wine tourism done on a grand scale Denbies is one of the easiest vineyards to visit on a day trip from London (50 minutes from Waterloo) but to get the most out of England's largest wine estate, stay the night. The location at the foot of the rolling Surrey Hills is magical as the early morning mist lifts over the vines while there are 380 acres to explore. The Secret Vineyard Trail gives hotel guests access to areas usually off-limits to the public; there's also a Vineyard Train Tour for the less energetic, and indoor tastings if it's raining. The 17-room Denbies Vineyard Hotel is housed in a 19th-century farmhouse, converted with all mod cons; guests can dine in one of three restaurants with a pre-meal wine tasting, or book a private supper in a cabana in the garden. £ | Best for a romantic weekend away Gloucestershire might be best known as cider country but it's also home to one of England's oldest commercial vineyards. Three Choirs was planted as an experiment in 1973 and the original half-acre of vines now extends across 75 acres, just south of the Malvern Hills, ripe for long walks. The vineyards produce 12 white, red, rosé and sparkling wines, which can be sampled either on an afternoon self-guided wine tasting and vineyard walk, or with a member of the winemaking team to offer expert analysis; order a bottle of your favourite with a tapas supper in the Brasserie afterwards. The 11 guest rooms are designed with couples in mind; three glass-walled, wooden-framed vineyard lodges are set among the vines while the eight 'vineyard view' rooms come with a south-facing patio overlooking the valley. Whichever you book, there is sparkling wine and handmade chocolates on arrival, and peace and privacy throughout your stay. £ | Best for a sense of seclusion and an ultra-local ethos England isn't the only UK winemaking country: Wales produces award-winning vintages, too, including the still and sparkling white and sparkling blush made on the seven-acre Jabajak estate. The former droving farm sits on the edge of the Bluestone Mountains in the west of the principality, close to the coastal paths and beaches of Pembrokeshire National Park. Cellar door tastings take place in the evening, followed by a dinner of local produce in the relaxed restaurant; what can't be grown in the kitchen garden is foraged from the surrounding countryside or supplied by local fishmongers and farmers and turned into the likes of pan-fried venison with wild blackberry jus. Eight individually decorated guest rooms (think four-poster beds and freestanding tubs) include three suites; get to know your fellow guests with drinks by the pond or on the patio. • The UK's best Michelin starred restaurants with rooms££ | POOL | DOG-FRIENDLY | Best for a luxury hotel stay of grapes and gastronomy The Exeter-born chef Michel Caines has form in the West Country, winning two Michelin stars during his 21-year tenure at Gidleigh Park on Dartmoor. He opened his own hotel in this sun-drenched spot overlooking the Exe Estuary in 2017, where a Michelin-starred tasting menu can be paired with the trio of wines that Caines produces in his 10.8-acre vineyard. Roasted pigeon with celeriac and truffle purée partnered by a glass of Triassic Pinot Noir would be an excellent match. Lighter meals are served in the Pool House restaurant next to the hotel's outdoor swimming pool, while vineyard tours end with either lunch or afternoon tea. Sumptuously appointed guest rooms match the classical style of the Georgian house or, for something marginally more rustic, there are six shepherd's huts. The hotel has a tennis court and croquet lawn, or get out on the water with paddleboarding and kayaking or a cruise along the River Exe. £ | DOG-FRIENDLY | Best for a Welsh wine weekend close to Cardiff Sipping a glass of off-dry Cariad Poplar on the terrace at Llanerch, it's hard to believe that Cardiff city centre is only a half-hour drive down the M4. Rows of vines surround the original 19th-century farmhouse and modern 36-room hotel, while sheep drift across the green fields of the Vale of Glamorgan beyond like balls of cotton wool. Wine tastings offer the opportunity to try three of the Cariad wines made from grapes grown in the 6.5-acre vineyard, while Roots restaurant serves plates of local Welsh lamb and steak, as well as afternoon tea and Sunday roasts. Guest rooms range from huge suites to compact doubles; some are wheelchair accessible, and a couple are dog friendly. £ | DOG-FRIENDLY | Best for quirky accommodation Accidental winemakers David and Lexa Bailey bought the vineyard next door when they were concerned the land would become a caravan park. Instead of camper vans, three sensitively converted, light-filled cottages sleep two, four or eight guests at Wraxall, with a minimum two-night stay — no hardship when foodie Bruton and historic Glastonbury are on the doorstep. Couples and solo travellers could also consider the fully insulated shepherd's huts, complete with fitted kitchens, launching late summer 2025. Tours and tastings can be followed by a lunch of seasonal local ingredients in the View, with its floor-to-ceiling windows and huge terrace pointed towards the Somerset Levels; there are Thursday steak nights, Friday pizza nights and food trucks on a Sunday, with, of course, pairings of Wraxall's four still and sparkling wines. • Read our full guide to Somerset ££ | DOG-FRIENDLY | Best for sparkling sundowners in an outdoor tub The accommodation at this sparkling-wine specialist brings new meaning to the concept of pergola training. Guests stay in one of four treehouses suspended 6m off the ground overlooking the rows of vineyards stretching down to the banks of the River Test, with only badgers, birds and deer for company. Each light-filled treehouse is built using sustainable techniques and materials and furnished in a cosy version of Scandi chic — wood-burning stoves, wishbone chairs, snazzy bathrooms and kitchens — with the star attraction being an oversized zinc bathtub outside. The treehouse owner Wild Escapes works closely with the Black Chalk vineyard, with guests given a breakfast hamper of local produce and a bottle of Black Chalk Classic wine; there's more eating and drinking with vineyard tours and tastings that end with a lunch of cheese, charcuterie and smoked fish. When you've had your fill of vines, there are footpaths through the woodland, or go kingfisher spotting in theLongstock Park Water Garden. ££ | DOG-FRIENDLY | Best for an active rural retreat among the vines Imagine Center Parcs for oenophiles and you'll get the picture at Tinwood. The estate is dog-friendly, the South Downs are all around and mountain bike hire is free; try cycling to the cathedral city of Chichester if you're feeling especially athletic. Once back in your luxury lodge, give your muscles a soak in the two-person whirlpool bath before catching the sunset over the vines from your private deck. Feeling sociable? There's a communal barrel sauna hidden by trees and evening yoga among the vines. Vineyard tours, meanwhile, end with a tutored tasting of three glasses of Tinwood's award-winning sparkling wine. Seasonal small plates and Sunday roasts are served for lunch in the on-site Vineyard Kitchen, breakfast arrives in a hamper and there are decent pubs within cycling distance for supper. The Anglesey Arms, on the edge of the Goodwood Estate, serves classy comfort food. £ | DOG-FRIENDLY | Best for sparkling wines and stunning walks There are few nicer places to take a break from walking the South Downs Way than the Flint Barns, but the Rathfinny estate is much more than a bed and breakfast to park your rucksack for the night. The comfortably homely accommodation — ten double and family rooms feature iron bedsteads covered in thick blankets and even thicker mattresses — feels almost at odds with the sophistication of Rathfinny's sparkling wine, made from chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes hand-harvested in Sussex on the same chalky slopes found over the Channel in Champagne. Breakfast and supper are served in the Flint Barns, there are smart lunches in the Michelin-rated Tasting Room and small plates in alfresco wine bar the Hut with its view over wildflower-strewn vines to the sea sparkling through the trees beyond. £ | Best for feeling part of the family in a 16th-century farmhouse England has what viticulturalists call a marginal climate for wine production and nowhere is more marginal than North Yorkshire, home to the UK's most northerly vineyard, Ryedale. Still, Yorkshire folk are nothing if not bloody-minded (a compliment round here) and Jon and Michelle Fletcher are proud to make wine as artisanally as possible, with every aspect of production, from pruning to labelling, carried out by hand. Their son and wine manager Jack conducts tours with generous tastings and, though, there's no restaurant, there are two snug village pubs a mile or so away — the Jolly Farmers at Leavening and the Blacksmiths Arms at Westow — while the nearby market town of Malton announces itself as 'Yorkshire's food capital' on its welcome sign; try some sushi tacos at Forty Six. Be warned, though, that after a full Yorkshire breakfast served in the Ryedale farmhouse following a good night's sleep in one of the two en suite bedrooms upstairs, you may not need to eat for the rest of the day. • 100 of the best places to stay in the UK• The best places for a walk in the UK
Telegraph
08-05-2025
- Telegraph
How to visit New Zealand's Marlborough wine region
As you sip the many local wines and weave your way through the crowd at the joyous annual Marlborough Wine & Food Festival, it's easy to assume that wine and viticulture has long existed in the region. Not so. Until only 50 years ago, this verdant north-east slice of New Zealand's South Island was populated by sheep; the first to plant commercial vines there was the Montana winery in 1973. Australian winemaker David Hohnen spotted the potential for aromatic, crisp white wines from Marlborough too, founding the Cloudy Bay winery in 1985. The success of its sauvignon blanc made Marlborough world-famous. Vines quickly edged out most of the sheep and Marlborough sauvignon is now considered a modern classic; nowhere else does this grape variety deliver such exuberant, zesty aromas and flavours – tangy gooseberries, fresh lime juice, passion fruit and tomato leaf among them. This distinctive character is primarily down to the long hours of bright sunshine through the Marlborough growing season and a sharp fall in temperature at night, leaving fresh acidity in the fruit and a whistle-clean finish to the wines. Marlborough's vinous gold rush developed quickly over the 1990s and 2000s – and so did its wine tourism. There are now more than 160 wineries in the region, mainly centred around the main town of Blenheim and nearby Renwick. New Zealand's largest and most famous wine-producing region, Marlborough draws in wine aficionados from across the globe to its many cellar doors, hotels and restaurants, not to mention the scenic joys of the nearby Marlborough Sounds. They're not only there to enjoy the famous 'Savvy B', though that remains by far the most widely planted grape. Today Marlborough wins international awards for its cool-climate pinot noirs, chardonnays and Champagne-method sparkling wines too, while newly minted star whites from Iberian grape albarino are also steadily making a name for themselves. At fifty years old, this region's wineries and off-shoot attractions remain youthful, inventive and warm in their welcome. It's an ideal place to explore if wine is your thing; here's how to do it. What to do For general information and to plan winery visits, and are both reliable ports of call. Many of Marlborough's wineries lie in the Wairau Valley around Blenheim and Renwick, just a few miles apart, so it's easy to plan on visiting several in one day. A pilgrimage to the iconic Cloudy Bay winery, with its lovely views of the Richmond Ranges, will be high on any visitor's list. Seated tastings of the range at the cellar door last 30-45 minutes and cost from $25/£11.25. Flop in a bean bag in the garden afterwards; Jack's Raw Bar, open in summer, serves up oysters and local clams. From here it's a short hop to Rimpere's cellar door, by contrast much smaller but with a pretty garden, sunny deck and turquoise parasols. Certified organic, Rimpere serves its own excellent sauvignon blanc as well as pinot noir and more from sister winery Akarua in Central Otago. Tastings cost from $20/£9 – and you can pre-order a cheese platter. A few kilometres nearer Renwick are two family-owned wineries offering informal tastings every day. Forrest Wines' spacious lawned garden is popular with families and groups, especially during its Sunday summer live music sessions. There's no need to book and no set tasting format here, but don't miss the pioneering, naturally low-alcohol 'Doctors' Forrest wines. Next, head to near-neighbour Nautilus Estate, which has a chic bar and outdoor tables; book a good-value 25-minute session to sample four of its sophisticated wines for $15/£6.75. Around 30 minutes' drive south from Blenheim in the Awatere Valley, Yealands Estate offers a different view with tastings, cold platters and picnics to take to its picturesque, coastal Seaview vineyard overlooking the Cook Straits. Drive, cycle or walk through the (sometimes blustery) White Road route and do try Yealands' fine albarino. Where to eat You certainly won't go hungry here. Herb & Olive café in central Blenheim rustles up wholesome breakfasts and lunches using local ingredients (its smoothies also come highly recommended), while the newly opened Small Town Winery in the heart of the town is a wine lover's dream. Owned by Astrolabe Wines, it's an urban working winery with an informal restaurant (think charcuterie and cheese boards) where wine flights (four 40ml samples) are priced from $20. Near Blenheim's railway station, Fidelio's café and wine bar has a good range of local wines and international labels, as well as tapas, cheese and charcuterie. For something more upmarket, head to Harvest restaurant at The Marlborough, where the peaceful garden deck makes for a pleasant spot to indulge in the signature Mibrasa grilled lamb shoulder. One of the best winery restaurants in the region, however, is No. 11 at Wairau River on the vineyard-laced Rapaura Road. It's only open for lunch, but serves inventive, delicious seasonal sharing plates with wine tastings on the same spot. In the Marlborough Sounds, seek out the famous New Zealand green-lipped mussels; 70 per cent of the country's are sourced here. They're steamed, battered, grilled or chowder-ed at The Mussel Pot in Havelock, and go perfectly with the local sauvignon blanc, naturally. Where to stay It's sensible to opt for a base in Blenheim if you plan to see as many wineries and vineyards as possible. Here, your best options are the eight-bedroom 14 th Lane Urban Hotel, which is close to wine bars, cafés and restaurants and has strong eco-credentials (doubles from $325/£146), or the great-value Carnmore Chateau Marlborough, a larger central Blenheim hotel in a quiet spot with a suntrap of an outdoor pool (doubles from $136/£61). Alternatively, stay just outside town in a rural setting, self-catering in one of four colonial cob-style cottages at St Leonards (Winemaker's Cottage costs from $325/£146 and sleeps two, minimum two-night stay); or rent The Nineteenth, a swish two-bedroom house with sweeping vineyard views from the terrace (from $350/£157 for two people, or $450/£202 for four people, minimum two-night stay). Fifteen minutes drive from Blenheim and surrounded by its own beautiful parkland and vineyards, The Marlborough is a luxury boutique hotel set in a former convent, and makes for a particularly elegant option (doubles from $1000/£446, includes pre-dinner cocktails). If you plan to incorporate an excursion to the Queen Charlotte Track, a base at the head of Endeavour Inlet in the Marlborough Sounds is logical. Furneaux Lodge has versatile accommodation including suites, cottages and basic hiker's cabins (from $195/£88 for two). Which wine tours to book The Marlborough Tour Company offers good full-day or afternoon winery visits (from $125/£56pp), as well as organising one-day tours of two wineries followed by a seafood cruise in the Marlborough Sounds (from $275/£124 pp). Alternatively, do it all by bike with Bike 2 Wine Tours, who will pick you up from your accommodation, provide bikes (and all the kit), then return you at the end of the day. You can also stay the company's B&B in Renwick, which costs from $65/$29pp. If you're keen to splash-out, book a private tour with Jimmy Rawdon, who has more than two decades of experience in the wine industry and drives groups of up to four around the wineries in his red Mercedes, explaining practices such as organic and biodynamic winemaking as well taking in important Maori and European settlers' historical sites. Prices start at $325/$146pp, not including meals. When to go November to April is the best period in which to visit the region, within which the spell from January to March is likely to guarantee you the sunniest, brightest days, and coincide with the majority of winery events. Marlborough Wine & Food Festival is held on the second Saturday in February (February 14, 2026), while the evening beforehand sees the more intimate Brookby Beats music and wine festival take over a beautiful Southern Valleys' vineyard location with local musicians and DJs, regional wine tastings and street food stands. From late February through April, expect the hustle and bustle of the grape harvest – fun to witness, but be prepared for hefty harvesting machines and grape trucks lumbering along the roads. How to get there New Zealand's major international airports are Auckland (North Island) and Christchurch (South Island). From Auckland, Air New Zealand has regular flights to Blenheim. From Christchurch, Sounds Air flies to Blenheim in 50 mins. Or drive from Auckland, taking the Interislander across the Cook Strait. The drive from Christchurch to Blenheim takes about four hours, though another scenic option is the five-hour Coastal Pacific Train to Blenheim's historic station built in 1910 – gastronomes can treat themselves to its optional Scenic Plus dining experience, with several excellent meals offered during the journey including a choice of fine local wines. Once in Blenheim, you can easily drive around the region by car, though many of the wineries are accessible by taxi or bicycle from both Blenheim and Renwick.
