Written by Robert Giorgione; a guest writer for Winekeller, a passionate New Zealand wine specialist, brand ambassador and award-winning sommelier, and owner of Roving Sommelier Wines & Deli

Many years ago, my primary reason for travelling to Auckland was the love of a good woman. Family, food, and drink also featured highly on the agenda and plenty of fun, too. However, my motivation for making the journey to Wairarapa were definitely for family - (I have aunts, uncles, and cousins on my late mother’s side in Upper Hutt and on the Kapiti Coast) - and wine. For me the latter was almost a ‘pilgrimage‘, especially to visit the great iconic vineyards located in the tiny township of Martinborough.

With a climate similar to Burgundy, Martinborough Wairarapa, an hour’s drive north of Wellington over the Rimatuka Hills, on New Zealand’s North Island, has now become a huge destination for wine lovers, especially those who adore cool climate Pinot Noir and New Zealand red wine. Once over the hills, and into Wairarapa, the whole vista of the region opens up before you, bush-clad ranges to the west across flat plains, that are mainly used for dairy cattle and sheep farming to a rugged coast on the east.

Wairarapa wines and Wairarapa wineries

As I have mentioned before, back in 2001 and 2002, while staying with family, I was in the process of making my ‘pilgrimage’ to visit the Wairarapa’s most world-famous vineyards and legendary winegrowers. New Zealand’s capital city, Wellington and the surrounding region normally plays host to the International Pinot Noir Conference which is attended by many world-famous wine industry luminaries and experts, and with a packed itinerary of tastings, masterclasses, and events which showcase the nation’s very best wines and produce. 

Four early winegrowers recognised the terroir of the Martinborough Terraces as ideal for vines, and their labours have been rewarded with international recognition. Back in the early 1980s, the original four pioneering wineries were Ata Rangi, Dry River, Chiffney, and Martinborough Vineyards. Recent years have seen plantings escalate to the north and west of the original area and throughout the Wairarapa towards smaller sub-regions such as Masterton, Gladstone, Greytown and Carterton.

Martinborough’s wines, especially its top-notch Wairarapa Pinot Noirs, considered by many to be New Zealand’s benchmark, have made this region a must-visit on the ‘Kiwi wine trail map’. Wine tourism has also developed positively over the years with many of the region’s vineyards opening up their cellar doors (and restaurants) to visitors, eager to taste their fine wines, many of them only available exclusively at the winery. There’s also plenty of places to eat, drink, and stay, where you can enjoy Wairarapa’s rich bounty and regional delicacies.

There are plenty of Martinborough wine tours to choose from to discover the regions wineries and wines.

Escarpment Winery and Larry McKenna

Larry McKenna, formerly of Martinborough Vineyards, is one of the founding patriarchs of great Pinot Noir winegrowers within New Zealand. He has recently retired.

In 1999 Larry felt it was time to rise to an irresistible challenge: creating a definitive New World vineyard to make distinctive wines in Martinborough. Hence, Escarpment was born. The vision is deceptively simple yet impressive: to produce tomorrow’s definitive New World wine styles. Why change such a recipe for success? To achieve this Larry lived and breathed Escarpment’s attitude – “venture to the edge”. He said: “I want to set new directions (especially for Pinot Noir) creating wines of complexity, texture, and structure. Our wines are different, full of surprise and perhaps even unconventional. We are proud of our Escarpment Pinot Noir now, but our wines can only get better with ageing vines. The site in Te Muna Valley (translated from the Māori language as ‘special place’) provides an important part of that edge. Here the Pinot Noir vines are low yielding, but of outstanding flavour. My challenge as winegrower is to coax all the flavour and character hidden inside the grapes and create a wine offering immense personality and style. I love the creative elements of wine making – the sense of adventure, the intuitive approach, the thirst to progress and perfect – and the excitement of the final taste in the glass. That thrill never diminishes.”

I have met Larry and spent quality time with him several times, mostly in London at various wine tasting events and masterclasses. What’s more, I spent a couple of days with him in Martinborough on my road trip around New Zealand in 2014. I have been a big fan of his wines for many years. The upfront, Pommard-esque “Kupe” and velvety, Volnay-esque “Kiwa” Pinots showed beautifully and were real personal highlights. His “Kupe” Chardonnay and Escarpment Pinot Blanc are also personal favourites, too. Great wines come from the heart and Larry McKenna strived and lived to produce great wine. It is that simple. A deep affinity for Pinot Noir, and passion for this “most challenging and capricious of grapes to grow and make good wine from,” has always driven him. Outstanding wines speak of their own place, and many years ago Larry chose Martinborough as the place to perfect his craft. Refreshingly open and straightforward in his approach, he values collaboration and has helped numerous workshops including many international Pinot Noir Conferences in New Zealand. He has also mentored and continues to mentor many winemakers, including Claire Mulholland, amongst others (formerly at Martinborough Vineyards and then went on to be winemaker at Amisfield and currently at Burn Cottage in Central Otago).

Over the years, I have also continued to stay connected with and form new relationships with other talented winegrowers and people that play a large part of the Martinborough wine scene. For instance, these include Lance Redgwell (Cambridge Road), Helen Masters and Clive Paton (Ata Rangi), Paul Mason (Martinborough Vineyards), Ant Mackenzie (formerly at Dry River), John Kavanagh (formerly of Neudorf and now at Te Kairanga) and Kai Schubert, among many others, and they evoke some of my most memorable experiences.  I thank you all for your friendship and good times. 

Palliser Estate also deserves a mention as one of my personal favourites. They have a wonderful cellar door tasting room that offers sommelier-led wine flights and guided vineyard tours to visitors, and the elegant Italian-inspired Palliser Kitchen by Attillio serves delicious Mediterranean cuisine, too. Large bookings are also catered for, and of course it is strongly recommended to book in advance.

During my 2014 road trip around New Zealand, I re-visited all those vineyards and more and met up with several winegrowers whilst spending a few days in Martinborough. Armed with a strong flat white (of course) and a tasty croissant or two, I caught the train from Wellington station each morning and I was in Martinborough by elevenses. Then, tasting the 2013s and 2014s (the current vintages at the time) out of barrel showed me that the wines were already revealing their qualities to be hailed as great vintages. I could not get over how supple and elegant the 2014 Pinots were. At Ata Rangi they were beautiful. At Cambridge Road and Schubert, the Pinots displayed more powerful, savoury, and earthy nuances. Craggy Range showed lovely floral notes, with intense plum and cherry fruit. Their “Aroha” (which means ‘love’ in Māori) is a great example of a single vineyard Pinot from the Te Muna sub-region. In addition, others showed aromas of violets. The wines at Nga Waka, Murdoch James, Palliser Estate, and Martinborough Vineyards were all showing very well, too. And at Larry McKenna’s Escarpment, for me they were the most expressive and showed a real depth and sense of place.

These utterly delicious Martinborough Pinots deserve to be on any wine lovers’ bucket list.

A few vineyards have been producing Syrah in Martinborough for a while and it is showing good potential. Some winegrowers also blend in a small portion of Viognier with their Syrah, as they do in France’s Northern Rhône, which adds a silky aromatic texture and floral lift. My favourites include Martinborough Vineyards, Kusuda and Cambridge Road (where a field blend of Syrah and Pinot Noir called “Dovetail” is produced), and at Ata Rangi and Schubert they’re making a decent Syrah too. But on this occasion what struck me most during my time in Martinborough was the down-to-earth humility of the region’s winegrowers. Although considered New Zealand trailblazers back in the day and with fine reputations now established, their vineyards are still relatively young, most of them are around 35 years old and are going through a journey and beautiful evolution.

Wairarapa’s talented and passionate winegrowers are not in the business of rushing their vines, as they have demonstrated real patience and genuine integrity to produce world class wines. Those wines are starting to display real depth and complexity. Martinborough is a very small place, especially in comparison to Marlborough, and everyone within this tight-knit community pretty much knows (and supports) each other. However, everyone is on the same page and shares the same optimism in their pursuit to produce the best wines that they can, that also best represent their own unique terroir and the Martinborough region as a whole. What’s more, “Te Muna” on the Martinborough Terrace is showing perfectly why it’s so revered and uniquely special.

Visiting Wairarapa New Zealand

The best times to visit Wairarapa are either on the third weekend in November when the locals host “Toast Martinborough”, which is a showcase of local wineries and artisan food, or in February, each year when the “Wairarapa Wine Harvest Festival” takes place. Being at the end of the summer season, it’s a great time to join in the festivities and have some fun. Regular shuttle buses transport visitors between the wineries, or alternatively you could hire a bike, if you’re feeling more energetic. Please note, that it is advisable to book your activities, tours, and accommodation well in advance, as availability is limited.

Small as it is, Martinborough’s main village square is where it’s at, with life centred around its iconic old colonial-style hotel, local cafés, down-to-earth bistros, artisan cheesemongers, and quirky arts and crafts boutiques. But there’s plenty to do, with the surrounding family-owned vineyards laid out like a verdant carpet, just waiting for visitors.

Alternatively, like me, you can use Wellington as your base and make an itinerary of various excursions at your own leisurely pace. It’s also worthwhile to stop off at Borthwick, Johner Estate, Urlar, and Gladstone vineyards located a few miles further north in the Gladstone sub-region, as they produce top-notch wines, too.

Nearby places to visit

Beautiful Cape Palliser – the North Island’s most southerly point – is a must-visit, too and  while being only 50km from Wellington, the picturesque Kapiti Coast is well worth a day trip too. The area is known for its fine artisan cheeses produced at Lindale. The Kikorangi blue is my favourite and partners a luscious late-harvest Riesling extremely well. Reminiscent of the South of England, you pass through sleepy seaside towns such as Paekākāriki, Paraparaumu, Waikanae, and Otaki, where a large part of the resident community are either retired or make their daily commute to work in Wellington. In Levin, Ohau is a tiny vineyard well worth discovering. Formerly known as Ohau Gravels, I was first introduced to the wines of Ohau back in 2010 at a New Zealand wine tasting in London, and I have been following them ever since. Winemaker Jane Cooper crafts small amounts of Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir, which are more in the Loire Valley-style, than Burgundy-esque masterpieces of Martinborough. The terroir here - mainly influenced by the Ohau river - is very different to that of Martinborough, as it contains ancient riverbed soils and gravels, which impart a lovely minerality and mouth-watering acidity. Experts found that these unique river terrace soils could be likened to some of the better vineyard sites in Marlborough. Established in 2006, Ohau was the first vineyard to be planted in this fledgling wine region. Let’s hope that the future is as bright as the wines.  

Conclusion

Wairarapa and Martinborough are serious destinations for wine lovers - especially lovers of cool climate Pinot Noirs. These vineyards and wines are now iconic and this region definitely deserves to be represented on a New Zealand wine tour!

The epicurean odyssey continues…

Award-winning sommelier, Robert Giorgione’s latest book “Roving Sommelier’s Bucket List of New Zealand Wines” (2023 Edition) is now available. To buy your copy, please go to http://www.anepicureanodyssey.com

More about Robert Giorgione:

Award-winning sommelier Robert Giorgione has been in the hospitality and retail industry for more than 35 years, including 17 years of experience in London where he worked as wine buyer and head sommelier at the iconic Oxo Tower Restaurant on the South Bank, the prestigious Fifth Floor at Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge, Pierre Koffmann’s classic French Three Michelin-starred La Tante Claire and D & D London at One Michelin-starred Orrery Restaurant in Marylebone, and won many prestigious awards for his wine lists and sommelier skills.

Most recently, Robert worked as sommelier at the famous Park House Restaurant, Wine Bar and Private Rooms in Cardiff, where he massively contributed to the establishment’s successful reputation for fine-dining and sommelier service and its award-winning wine list.

Now relocated to beautiful South Wales, Robert owns and runs ‘Roving Sommelier Wines’ – an independent wine merchant and online shop, which stocks some of the finest affordable premium wines from around the world, and Robert works enthusiastically to guide wine lovers and consumers towards something that’s right both for palate and pocket. Roving Sommelier loves authentic wines that are made with passion and integrity. We also prefer wines that have a genuine sense of place and express their grape and region. Many of our artisan wines have been produced using organic, natural and/or biodynamic wine making techniques.

We deliver to UK addresses (mainland locations only, and excluding any islands such as Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, Scottish Hebrides and other islands, and Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland).

Robert also has years of experience as a chef and loves hosting wine tastings and events, including food and drink matching masterclasses (he has a particular passion for artisan cheese and fine chocolate), and can capably act as a guest speaker on many topics regarding all types of food and drink.

In addition to this Robert has many years of experience as a wine consultant for a variety of private and corporate clients, (New Zealand Wine Growers, Wine Chap, Naked Wines, and Les Caves de Pyrene, amongst many others), and has been a wine judge for many prestigious international wine awards and competitions (his areas of experience include New Zealand, Regional Italy, Spain, and South-West France). In fact, the South-West of France, and in particular the region of Roussillon has a special place in Robert’s heart, as he has a real fondness for the local Vin Doux Naturel wines that pair extremely well with desserts and chocolate. In October 2012, while working with William Curley, Robert won the UK Final of the Roussillon Dessert Competition alongside pastry chef Sarah Frankland. The sommelier and chef pâtissier team went on to represent the UK in the European Final held in Perpignan in April 2013 and won the overall title of European Champions, beating the crème de la crème of Belgium, Holland, Germany, and Denmark. An achievement and experience that Robert is genuinely proud of.

Robert’s talents and experience also extends to writing, blogging, and between 2010 and 2013 he produced 275 roving sommelier video blogs on his Roving Sommelier TV You Tube channel.

Robert’s latest book “Roving Sommelier’s Bucket List of New Zealand Wines” (2023 Edition) is now available. To buy your copy, please go to http://www.anepicureanodyssey.com