Bringing Back Cocktail Hour - Marlborough, New Zealand
DINKS Travel 
Bringing Back Cocktail Hour in Marlborough!Back in January we had a blast touring the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Jenn's brother Brent planned the route and blazed the trail along with Matt, Jenn, and Jenn's stepdad, Bill. When Brent sponsored Bring Back Cocktail Hour, we thought it would be fitting to apply it to another libation-related tour...This time on the other side of the world.
New Zealand is known for its quality wines and we were keen to sample a wide variety. We drove to Blenheim, New Zealand, rented two bikes, and spent a fun-filled day visiting a variety of tasting rooms. When lunchtime arrived, we were fortunate to be close to The Brothers winery where we paired a 2011 Pinot Noir with their more-than-generous charcuterie plate which contained a selection of breads, meats, cheeses, seafood, pate, olives, and mixed greens. We left energized and fortified, ready for a riverside path peddle before proceeding to another winery known for its sparkling wine.
We extend our deepest appreciation to Brent for his "Include an Appetizer" contribution. It helped us create new memories while reminding us of the good times we shared this past winter.
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Reader Comments (2)
Jealous! Can you post a list of your favorite Sauvignon Blanc tastings?
Hi Michael!
We have a few things to share if you and Clarann end up down in Marlborough Country.
1) Starting with your question - the best Sauvys (how they are nicknamed down here) we had were at a cute, little winery named Gibson Bridge. The owners are lovely and we ended up spending an hour with them tasting wines including a lovely Sauv Gris.
2) I, Jenn, love a great Viognier. I had the best one ever at Giesen winery. The winery itself had great wines and the amazing, inexpensive app plate pictured above (only a mere $24), but we were put-off by them rushing us through the tasting.
3) We know you love a great bubbly. We had ours at the No 1 Family Estate vineyard. They took grapes from France and planted them here in NZ. We were smitten with the rose and picked up a bottle to enjoy later.
4) We would be remiss not to mention the bike rental place we used - Wine Tours by Bike. The owner provided great suggestions and when Matt had a flat in the middle of the tour, the owner met us quickly, replaced the bike and we were on our way again in no time.
Overall, it's a great day of fun enjoying some amazing wines!