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

Wine and Beer Tours, Marlborough

  • Home
  • Our Tours
    • Full Day – Group Tour
    • Half Day – Group Tour
    • Private Tours
    • Gourmet Gold Winemaker’s Tour
    • Winery Express Tour
    • Cruise Ship – Winery Excursion
    • Virtual Wine Tasting
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • About us
    • About Marlborough
    • Wineries of Marlborough
    • Marlborough beer breweries
  • Gallery
  • Blog
  • Bookings
    • Guest Code of Conduct
    • Cancellation Policy
  • Contact us
    • Location – Where to find us

Cloudy Bay Wine tasting

24/06/2020 By Cameron Clarke

  • Cloudy Bay Marlborough Wine Pioneers
  • Group Wine Tasting inside Cloudy Bay Tasting room
  • Is Cloudy Bay worth the money?
  • Cloudy bay vineyard tasting

Hop n Grape tours visits Cloudy Bay wine tasting on request. We love the friendly staff and the beautiful tasting room. The Cloudy bay vineyard wine tasting includes 4 wines. The Sparkling Wine, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. For someone looking for something special the Te Koko Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is one of my personal favourites.
To book your Marlborough Winery tour to Cloudy bay wine tasting call us today.

Cloudy bay is always a favourite with international visitors
Visitors love the sunny tasting room at Cloudy bay

Cloudy Bay wine tasting and cellar door on Jackson road is always a favourite stop on the wine tour.

Cloudy Bay Marlborough Wine Pioneers

The winery is named after Cloudy Bay, a body of water explorer Captain James Cook came across during his voyage to New Zealand in 1770. Cloudy Bay work together with nature to transform and enhance its quality and obtain the pure, aromatic flavours of the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. They also offer other varieties of amazing wines. As you enter the estate, you will see a beautiful building covered with virginia creeper giving the winery an established european feel.

Cloudy bay tasting room in winter is warm and inviting.  Guests enjoy the open fire during the wine tasting.
Winter wine tasting inside the Cloudy bay tasting room

Group Wine Tasting inside Cloudy Bay Tasting room

The cellar door is spacious and inviting which is located at the winery itself, in the heart of the Marlborough wine region. Cloudy Bay is a beautiful place to enjoy a delicious glass of wine in a vast courtyard. The raw bar offers different treats that can excite your taste buds while enjoying their range of wines and the beautiful garden overlooking the vineyards. The green lawn is extensive, with huge shade trees interspersed. It is a great location for a family get-together, with ample room for the kids to run around. The view of the vineyards, with the mountains in the background, is absolutely breathtaking. It is the perfect place to chill, relax and create memorable moments with family and friends with their naturally beautiful surroundings. If you want a sophisticated and memorable experience, Cloudy Bay is definitely a place to visit.

Is Cloudy Bay worth the money?

This is a funny question but one I get asked alot. It has many facets so to keep it simple I will just say Yes. A wine is more than the contents of the bottle. It’s the memories and the emotion attached to that time. Cloudy bay has created a lot of memories for a lot of people. When they visit the tasting room people tell stories of drinking Cloudy bay with family or enjoying Cloudy bay at special restaurants. You can tell the brand is special to them.

Yes, I might be able to show them Sauvignon blanc that they enjoy, that are from little hand made vineyards. As they haven’t heard of them, and there is no history associated with these new vineyards. It creates a different experience. A new one! On a Marlborough Wine tour there is room for the new and the old. Finding new favourites to compare with the old favourites and making new memories.

Wine tasting at Cloudy Bay outside in the Courtyard.  Everyone enjoys the famous Sauvignon Blanc.
Sitting outside in Summer provides beautiful views of the mountains, vineyards and gardens

Cloudy bay vineyard tasting

Hop n Grape Wine and Beer tours visits Cloudy Bay on request. We love the friendly staff and the beautiful tasting room. The Cloudy bay wine tasting includes 4 wines. The Sparkling Wine, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. For someone looking for something special the Te Koko Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is one of my personal favourites.
To book your Marlborough Winery tour call us today.

Can we visit Cloudy Bay when we are in Marlborough?
Yes. Join a tour with Hop n Grape and we pick you up from your accommodation and take you there. Call of email for more info.
0211574094

Cloudy Bay Winery

Book Now
Visit Cloudy Bay’s Website

Filed Under: Wine tour Tagged With: Best places in NZ to visit., Best Wine tours in Marlborough, Best wineries to visit, Cloudy bay tours, Cloudy Bay Winery, Jacks Raw Bar, Marlborough Sauvignon blanc, Marlborough Winery tours, Picton wine tours, Vineyard Tour, Visit Cloudy bay, Winery restaurants

Restaurant and Tasting room

08/06/2020 By Cameron Clarke

  • Wairau River restaurant
  • Pioneers of Wine and food
  • Tasting room tours with Hop n Grape
  • Family Winemakers
  • 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.

Book a Wine tour
Visit Wairau River’s Website

Filed Under: Wine tour, Winery Restaurant] Tagged With: 5 Best places to eat in Marlborough, Marlborough Sauvignon blanc, Marlborough Wine, Marlborough Wine Tours, Vineyard lunch, Vineyard Tour, Wine tasting, Wine tours, Winery restaurants, Winery tours

5 Best Winery Restaurants in Marlborough

04/06/2020 By Cameron Clarke

We bring you the best winery restaurants in Marlborough. This list was produced to save you time trying to decide where you go. To save yourself even more time just book yourself on a Full or Half day wine tour.

  • Lunches on a Wine tour
  • Setting, Menu and Staff
  • Top 5 winery restaurants in Marlborough for Lunch
  • Saint Clair Vineyard Kitchen
  • Wairau River Restaurant
  • Allan Scott Wines
  • Wither Hills Restaurant
  • Brancott Estate
  • Summary of the best winery restaurant in Marlborough

Lunches on a Wine tour

When we book lunches for groups on the Wine tour we consider a number of factors. The winery restaurant is a major part of the day and is the longest stop of the day, usually taking about 1.5 hours.

Luckily we have lots of amazing wineries to choose from. All of them are very different and all are fantastic for different reasons. To make this list the things we considered include;

Group celebrating a Marlborough Wine tour on a sunny day.  Outdoor dining at lunch keeps lunch fun and fresh.  Marlborough has some beautiful restaurant to eat outside at.  Groups love to celebrate together.
Celebrate the Marlborough view, weather and wine with an outdoor lunch

Winery and vineyard Lunch categories and considerations in becoming one of the best winery restaurants in Marlborough

Setting, Menu and Staff

  • Setting-In door/out door flow and seating. We use different restaurant in different seasons and depending on the wind, rain and temperature
  • Menu- Variety and cost. As we book for groups usually before we meet them, we need to make sure the restaurants we choose have a wide variety of options, and can cater for different food sensitivities.
  • Cost is also a factor as you want a good volume but don’t want to have to pay “tourist prices.” Lunch prices are different to dinner prices.
  • Wine- Call me a snob but the wine has to be perfect and the wine range varied to exceed the expectations of everyone on the wine tour.
  • Staff- Summer season can be very busy and stressful. The wrong staff or manager can ruin a perfectly great experience. The staff need to be friendly and professional.
  • Timing- There challengers for tour operators is always timing the tasting, lunch and returning guests on time. If lunch is held up then the afternoon runs late. Restaurants that can consistently facilitate the group dining and tasting experience in a punctual fashion often become our favorites.

Top 5 winery restaurants in Marlborough for Lunch

Saint Clair Vineyard Kitchen

Vineyard setting at Saint Clair in Summer is outdoor eating at its best.

Saint Clair‘s tasting room and restaurant is very accessible and just about ten minutes drive from the center of Blenheim. It has a peaceful vineyard setting with stunning views of the vines and the Richmond Range. The courtyard offers outdoor dining where you can enjoy the sun and dine amongst the vines.

Saint Clair veranda section on cooler days offers sheltered from the elements through extensive floor to ceiling glass sliding doors.

The menu constantly changes reflecting some of the best seasonal produce and finest delicacies Marlborough has to offer. There are different options available to meet any dietary requirements. The manager and the rest of the staff are very professional and friendly with a warm welcome and smooth departure. The cost is acceptable and the portion size is adequate. Their timing is always perfect for the wine tour.

Visit Saint Clair
More information about a Winery tour visiting all of these Wineries

Wairau River Restaurant

Wine tasting in Marlbrough at the best restaurants
Wairau River have a beautiful established outside eating options

Update: Please note Wairau River has re-opened their restaurant. Called No.11@Wairau https://www.wairauriverwines.com/cellar-door-restaurant/

One of the regions original wine tourism destinations is Wairau River winery is. The menu is simple and delicious focusing on fresh Marlborough ingredients that changes with the seasons. There is a good range of options to choose from, its not extensive but every dish is perfect.

The place is amazing. The inside of the restaurant is nice and cosy, there is a large open fire in the middle and there is no better restaurant on a winters day.

Wairau River the atmosphere is casual and down to earth but it has the polish of a proud family that has been running this for generations. The wine tasting is$20 per person for 4 wines.

Visit Wairau River

Allan Scott Wines

Wine tasting at Allan Scott
Allan Scott Lunch outside in the courtyard

Twelve Trees Restaurant got its name from the walnut trees that lined the entrance to the Scott’s winery. It is 8 km from Blenheim and 5 km from Renwick. This venue is surrounded by manicured gardens which are great for children to explore. The food is great and the atmosphere is truly relaxing, whether in the sheltered courtyard or inside by the fire. The undercover outdoor courtyard is exceptional even if the day is wet or windy.

The menu goes with a simple food philosophy, “fresh & local”. The seasonal menu changes regularly, but consistently features quality produce from many local suppliers which go very well with the delicious The menu offers a wide range of delicious food options that meet different dietary requirements. The team at Allan Scotts are fantastic and they are open 7 days. We always go to Allan Scott on Monday’s and Tuesday!!!

Visit Allan Scott
Book a Full day Wine tour with Hop n Grape tours and get taken to the best wineries in Marlborough

Wither Hills Restaurant

Witherhill courtyard lunch platter
Wither Hills courtyard is perfect for platter

Marlborough’s Wither Hills Restaurant offers platters, delicious lunch and desserts. It is a great place to sit and gaze across to the dramatic hills. The view from Wither Hills is absolutely stunning and would make the most incredible wedding venue.   All the food is interesting and more at the fine dinning, top end of the spectrum. If you are vegetarian/vegan/have allergies there is always an interesting choice.

The service is efficient but not rushed, its great when you have all afternoon to relax. The venue has reasonably easy access, there is a small hill or stairs to walk up but has plenty of spacious parking.

The restaurant is a very good place to dine, relax and just simply appreciate the beauty of nature.

We love the tower which provides a fantastic location for photos and the barrel room with its European atmosphere. Great range of wines to match.

Brancott Estate

Brancott Estate Restaurant is currently Closed due to COVID and Govt regulations. They have no intentions to open any time soon but I will update this immediately if this changes.

Has magnificent views of the Marlborough landscape which enhances dining experience. Its breathtaking location makes it a very popular spot. There are only 10 tables and they all have views right across Marlborough and over to the North island.

Best suited to couples and families without children as there is no where for the kids to play. The view is breathtaking so the restaurant is the perfect place for a long lunch.

Summary of the best winery restaurant in Marlborough

Marlborough has so many fantastic wineries, chefs, foodies and wine all competing that the standards here are world class. Travellers from all over the world have continuously told me that the lunch on the wine tour was the best they have had in New Zealand and 2nd to none in the world.

If you plan to have a couple of glasses of wine then I suggest you get yourself booked on a tour and I will choose the best winery restaurant in Marlborough for you. The best restaurant changes from week to week and season to season so the safest best is to give us a call.

Book Now Page

Filed Under: Wine tour, Winery Restaurant] Tagged With: 5 Best places to eat in Marlborough, Allan Scott, Best lunch, Blenheim wine tours, Brancott, Cruise ship tours, Marlborough Wine Tours, Picton wine tours, Private wine tour, Private wine tours, Saint Clair, Sauvignon Blanc, St Clair, Wairau River, Wine tours, Winery lunch, Winery restaurants, Winery tours, Witherhills

Saint Clair Winery, tasting room and Vineyard restaurant

29/05/2020 By Cameron Clarke

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

Book now Page

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

Filed Under: Wine tour, Winery Restaurant] Tagged With: Hop n Grape Wine and Beer Tours, Lunch, Marlborough Wine Tours, restaurant, Vineyard, Vineyard lunch, Wine tasting, Winery lunch, Winery restaurants

Get in Touch

Phone 0800 GR8 TOUR (478 868)
Email info@hopngrapetours.co.nz
  • TripAdvisor
qualmark bronze award tiaki promise badge Covid Clean badge

Follow us

Here’s What Our Customers Are Saying…

"Hop 'n Grape Tours was absolutely perfectly suited to what we wanted out of our day. We had a "behind the scenes tour" of a phenomenal winery, a fantastic lunch, and an insider's look at the wine business. Plus, we got to sample some premium microbreweries. I would highly recommend Cam and his company to any person or group that is looking for a top notch customer service experience."
- Robb, Colorado, USA

***

"What sets this tour apart from the others is a winery visit where you learn how wine is made and the different soils that characterise the unique wines grown in the region. Cam is a great host and gives you just the right amount of information. The tour is well paced and highly recommended"
- Clare, NZ

***

"I am a very novice wine drinker, often fearful of ordering wine at meals... This tour helped change that for me entirely. The first portion of the tour took us behind the scenes at a vineyard. We were explained the regional wines produced, how the plants are planted and harvested and finally how the grapes are processed for wine production. A very good starting point for myself..."
- Chelle, UK

***

"My wife and I really enjoyed our tour with Cam on Hop 'n Grape tours! It was a very personalised experience for us. Getting to go to any winery that we wish and getting a great behind the scenes look at the Mount Riley winery was amazing. We would highly recommend hopping on board the tour... [for] a really knowledgeable and friendly guide. If you love wine, you'll love this tour!"
- Jayman, Australia
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.

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © Hop n Grape - Marlborough Wine and Beer Tours · Website by The Full Noise