SUNSHINE CENTRAL

An indulgent weekend in Marlborough.

The timing of an invitation to the world-class home of my favourite wine was perfect. We recently had a bereavement in the family, and a little ‘getting away from it all’ seemed to be just the tonic, or the sauvignon blanc in this case.

When my husband (Mr Irish) and I received the very detailed itinerary to visit Marlborough, we were a little giddy. New Zealand cuisine, bike tours and wine tastings in vineyard after vineyard, plus dinners out ... we will need to hit the gym when we get back to Auckland.

Well, the clever people at Destination Marlborough had thought that one out and announced a 7am Sunday morning start (Mr Irish started wincing), which involved a 17km walk at the beginning of the Queen Charlotte Track.

Seventeen kilometres? How long will that take? Five-and-a-half hours, according to the brochure. Hmmm. A quick stock-take of our fitness levels followed. We are in the 50-60 age bracket and consider ourselves in reasonably good shape. But five-and-ahalf hours? We discussed and accepted the challenge. This was, after all, the world-renowned Queen Charlotte Track and we had to knock the bastard off.

The weather gods turned it on for our flight into Blenheim. So clear was the sky that we could see the famous sounds, mussel farms and row upon row of vines as far as the eye could see. The majestic and razor-sharp hills dramatically contrasted with the working Marlborough plains.

Driving to Saint Clair Family Estate was a highlight in itself. We drove past familiar names such as Stoneleigh, Matua and Wither Hills. Mr Irish and I couldn’t help but think of how we had contributed to their profit margins over the years.

A warm and relaxed welcome greeted us at Saint Clair Vineyard Kitchen. Instantly we had left city life and were reposing within an arm’s reach of the vines. Seated at our picnic table in the courtyard garden looking out to the Richmond Range and endless vines was soothing. Coupled with a lovely glass of Saint Clair Wairau Reserve Sauvignon Blanc and warm sourdough with a top-notch chicken liver pate, it was pure bliss. The secret ingredient to this delicious pate? Riesling. Of course. RIVERS RUN DEEP

From this fairly traditional setting, we then visited the very modern and community-led enterprise, The Wine Studio. This site serves three purposes: it is the winemaking hub of Two Rivers, the business’ head office, and is a contract winemaking facility for their close friends. Winemaker Dave Clouston and brand ambassador Harriet Wadworth explained their connection with other wine labels. It is a collaborative and trusting environment for other winemakers to experiment and produce with their own labels, such as Black Cottage, Corofin, Soho Wines, and Vandal.

The operation is slick and spotless. Even the barrel barn was ordered like loyal soldiers. We were spoilt for multiple tasting options including chardonnay, riesling, rosé and pinot