Hop n Grape Tours - Marlborough Wine Tours - Daily Wine Tours in Marlborough, NZ

Wine and Beer Tours, Marlborough

Restaurant and Tasting room

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  • Wairau River lunch
    Marlborough locals love the food wine and atmosphere at Wairau River Restaurant

Wairau River restaurant

A great restaurant and tasting room in the heart of the Marlborough wine region. One of the best things about booking a Marlborough Wine tour with Hop n Grape is that they take care of all the bookings. One of the most important bookings is lunch. We are lucky to have a great relationship with Wairau River and are lucky enough to visit them regularly for wine and lunch.

Pioneers of Wine and food

It was in 1978 when Phil and Chris Rose established their vineyards on the banks of the Wairau River. Now, all five Rose children are highly engaged to Marlborough and along with their partners are involved in the family wine business.

Tasting room tours with Hop n Grape

At Hop n Grape Wine and beer tours, we love to visit Wairau River both during the Marlborough wine tour with guests, and also on our days off with friends and family. This really shows the quality of the wine and the staff. Visitors to the region love the generous portions and quality of food. Locals love the atmosphere and the award winning wines.

The Wairau River Cellar Door and Restaurant and tasting room is one of Marlborough’s original wine tourism destinations which was successfully launched in 1991. It is an amazing place to visit.

The inside of the restaurant is beautiful and cosy, and the courtyard next to the vines is stunning. The entire place is neat with a fantastic setting and a friendly atmosphere.

Family Winemakers

The attention to detail both in terms of the quality of food and wine is exceptional. Today, it is being managed and run by the eldest daughter Pip Rose. Working with her are her younger sister Caroline Rose and her partner Tane Malcolm who are the head chefs. The menu focuses on fresh Marlborough ingredients and changes with the seasons.

Wairau River’s Cellar Door is the perfect place to taste the wide range of their award-winning wines and learn more about Marlborough and its grape growing history. The cellar door hosts are friendly and knowledgeable.

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Visit Wairau River’s Website

Saint Clair Winery, tasting room and Vineyard restaurant

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Winery Lunch
Enjoy friends and wines in the vineyard.

Family owned Wine Estate

Saint Clair Vineyard and Family Estate was founded by the lovely couple Neal and Judy Ibbotson. They are viticulture pioneers in Marlborough since 1978. Saint Clair is amongst New Zealand’s top wine companies with a reputable quality record.  In 1994, all their wines from the first vintage won medals including gold and its award-winning record continues today.

Visit Saint Clair Website

Wine Range and Awards

Saint Clair offers a wide range of delicious wines for every occasion, from white wine to reds. They do amazing blends. They also do méthode traditionnelle style. Their wines continue to make a name and get recognised worldwide. Recently awarded “The Wine Society of Australia Perpetual Trophy for Most Successful Winery of Competition.”

Vineyard Kitchen Restaurant

Saint Clair is also known for its incredible vineyard kitchen. It has an amazing vineyard setting with views of the vines and the dramatic Richmond Range. It is the perfect place to go to relax and enjoy the experience. The menu changes and reflects some of the best seasonal produce and finest delicacies Marlborough has to offer. There are a range of options available to meet any dietary requirements.

Entrance to the Restaurant and Wine tasting

Wine tasting at the Cellar door

The wine tasting counter is an area to discover the diversity of Saint Clair with a large selection of award winning wines available for tasting daily via an impressive wine preservation system. The cellar door hosts and the rest of the staff are very professional and friendly. The smile on their face reflects how much they love and enjoy their job no matter what challenges they have to deal with every single day.

We Love visiting St Clair for 3 reasons. Their lunch is amazing and its a good size and great variety, their staff are always friendly and professional and the wine is exquisite.

Wine tours to St Clair with Hop n Grape

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Hop n Grape wine and beer tours understands that it takes more than just world class wine, to make a day exceptional. You need to match the wine, weather, staff, location and music all contribute to the memories. This is how we became the most recommended Wine tour in New Zealand.

Saint Clair Family Estate Winery Tasting

Marlborough, New Zealand

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It has been said that there is no wine anywhere in the world that tastes like the wine of Marlborough. The balance of extraordinary purity and intensity of flavours set around impressive aroma, distinctive fruit characteristics and appealing balanced acidity is superb. These are stylish, exciting wines that surprise and delight.

What is it that makes the wines of Marlborough so distinctively exquisite?

As with any of the great wine making regions of the world, the answer lies in a magical synergy of climate and soil, underpinned by our desire to express this unique terroir. Here in the north-eastern corner of New Zealand’s South Island, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the east and towering mountain ranges in the hinterlands to the north and south, a broad alluvial plain stretches from the coastline, gradually rising into narrow valleys with favourable northerly aspects. Ours is a diverse landscape of spectacular natural beauty and bounty.

Marlborough’s History

In past centuries Māori hunted Moa here and cultivated vast Kumara crops in the year round sunshine. Early European settlers established New Zealand’s pastoral industry on the fertile rolling downs of the river valleys. In 1873, long before the modern day vintners recognised the potential to produce great wine in this region, pioneering Scottish farmer and grape grower David Herd, planted Marlborough’s first vineyard.

It was to be another 100 years before that vision took root with the development of viticulture in Marlborough on a commercial scale.

NZ’s Largest Wine region

Today Marlborough is recognised as one of the premium wine regions of the world. New Zealand’s leading wine region. This region draws international acclaim that far outweighs its size. In the span of just a few decades winemakers have embraced this small, yet geographically diverse region, exploring the nuances offered by its landscape to craft exhilarating flavours in many different wine styles.

Wineries of Marlborough

Discover long hot summers and blue-skied winters, from alpine peaks to the Marlborough Sounds. Discover gourmet food and world class wine, from luxurious resorts to rustic vineyard restaurants.

Wine Tours in Marlborough and Picton

Marlborough is the perfect place for romance, relaxation or adventure, in every season. At Hop n Grape Wine and Beer tours we love to show off the magic and beauty of this wonderful region. People come for the wine, but stay for the people, places and experiences.

Winery Lunch
Friends enjoy a gourmet lunch and wines in the vineyard at St Clair restaurant in Marlborough.

Hop n Grape Wine tours Marlborough is the leading Wine tour provider in Marlborough.

Let us show you why Marlborough is world famous by taking you to the best wineries in the region. We will collect you from your accommodation anywhere in Marlborough then wine, dine and educate you before returning you safely to your accommodation. We can arrange for your wine to be delivered to your home.

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Hop 'N Grape Wine Tours Marlborough is the top provider of winery tours in Picton and Blenheim. If you are looking for a private wine tour, small group wine tour or a luxury wine tour, we can guide your through New Zealand's finest wine region - Marlborough - and let you indulge in an unforgettable wine tasting experience.