Gastronomic Wine Tour of New Zealand – Itinerary*

* Itinerary subject to change: every effort will be made to keep the interary as close as possible to what appears here; however, the final itinerary may vary due to wine producer schedules, availability and factors beyond our control.

# We can arrange an additional night’s stay at the Stamford Plaza hotel for Wednesday 5th January 2005, if required.

Day 2 – Friday 7th January 2005

This morning we head south through the lush dairy country of the Waikato toward the centre of the North Island. We’ll enjoy a picnic in the geothermically active town of Rotorua. Enjoy a two-hour break here, with the option of a soak in Rotorua’s natural hot springs, or a show at the Maori Village. In the afternoon we’ll continue our journey eastwards to the Art Deco town of Napier, capital of Hawkes Bay. The town was all but flattened by earthquake in 1931 and is a treasure of Art Deco architecture. Dinner and accommodation this evening will be in the recently restored County Hotel.

Day 3 – Saturday 8th January 2005

This morning we make the short excursion out to the famed Gimblett Gravels region of Hawkes Bay. This is a truly terroir*-driven site, and we’ll meet with local winemakers to explore its wines and understand its style. Next we’ll meet Alan Limmer at Stonecroft, a New Zealand pioneer of ‘other’ grape varieties, to sample his benchmark gewürztraminer and syrah wines. Lunch will be at the coastal vineyard to Clearview. In the afternoon we’ll meet John Buck at Te Mata estate – New Zealand’s oldest winery, and makers of some of the country’s best chardonnay and cabernet wines. In the late afternoon, you’ll have time to explore Napier’s Art Deco architecture, before heading out to the distinctly modern Sileni winery for a tasting and dinner. Accommodation will be at the County Hotel.

Day 4 – Sunday 9th January 2005

This morning we continue south along the east coast to the Wairarapa. After checking in at the Martinborough Hotel, we’ll visit three of the region’s leading wineries – Ata Rangi, Dry River, and Palliser Estate before enjoying a dégustation dinner of the region’s wines at our hotel.

Day 5 – Monday 10th January 2005

This morning we’ll meet Larry McKenna who put Martinborough pinot noir on the world map in the 1980s. Visiting both his first venture – Martinborough Vineyards, and his new venture – The Escarpment, we’ll discover what makes Martinborough such a great region for this fickle variety. Then it’s over the Rimutakas for an hour’s drive to the capital city, Wellington, where we’ll check in to the InterContinental Hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore – perhaps the botanical gardens, the wonderful national museum Te Papa, boutique stores and artist’s shops? The choice is your’s – but we’ll give you the help you need to get the most from it.

Day 6 – Tuesday 11th January 2005

We have an early start this morning, catching the 8-00am sailing of the Lynx hydrofoil ferry to the South Island. At Picton we will make the short drive to the capital of the Marlborough wine region – Blenheim. This is sauvignon blanc country. No trip would be complete without a visit to the Cloudy Bay winery, and this will be followed by two or three others leading the way in this region. Dinner and accommodation this evening will be at the Hotel d’Urville. We’ll enjoy a dégustation of Marlborough food and wine from chef Gary Clarke of Conran Group fame.

Day 7 – Wednesday 12th January 2005

Today we’ll really discover Marlborough’s diversity of wine styles. It’s sauvignon blancs and chardonnays are well known, but we’ll also discover it’s gewürztraminers, sparkling wines, and pinot noirs. In the evening we’ll enjoy a dégustation dinner at Herzog. This is a truly special restaurant and winery. Swiss proprietors Therese and Hans Herzog have created a contender for New Zealand’s best restaurant here, and we will sample their pioneering wines, including a pinot gris and a montepulciano, before retiring back to the Hotel d’Urville in Marlborough.

Day 8 – Thursday 13th January 2005

This morning we head south along the east coast of the South Island to enjoy lunch at Pegasus Bay winery in the Waipara district of Canterbury. Here we’ll meet the Donaldsons, whose whole range of wines is a benchmark for the region. Then just down the road to Mountford Estate for a tasting of their fabulously concentrated and vibrant pinot noir and chardonnay and a tour of the estate. Then on to ‘the garden city’ of Christchurch. This evening we’ll enjoy special meal at Saggio di Vino – a truly gourmet haven (we may even get to try New Zealand perigord truffles if available), and boasting a great wine list. This evening we will stay at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Day 9 – Friday 14th January 2005

This morning is free for you to explore the ‘garden city’. It’s a short stroll to the botanic gardens, the Arts Centre (arts and crafts), museum and art gallery – or perhaps a punt down the Avon River for a taste of England downunder. Then we drive half an hour south of Christchurch to the Giesen winery, best known for its Rieslings. After a picnic lunch we head south and then inland toward the Southern Alps and ‘Lord of the Rings’ country. This evening we will stay at the Hermitage Hotel by New Zealand’s tallest mountain Aoraki Mt Cook. Dinner will be in the Panorama Restaurant overlooking the mountain.

Day 10 – Saturday 15th January 2005

This morning is free to explore this beautiful area. Scenic flights and helicopter tours are available, as well as guided walks for all levels. It’s a truly majestic place. After lunch we continue our journey south to the ‘adventure tourism’ capital of the south, Queenstown, where we’ll check in to the Heritage Hotel around 4pm. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the district. Perhaps a gondola ride up the hillside for spectacular views of the alps and Lake Wakiitipu? Or a bungy jump with the originator – A.J. Hackett. There’s so much to do – we’ll help you find what’s best for you.

Day 11 – Sunday 16th January 2005

Today we explore this beautiful wine country. As we meander up the Gibbston Valley we’ll stop at Chard Farm and Peregrine to taste and discover what makes the region so special for wine lovers. Then a picnic lunch at the Gibbston Valley winery, before we head up to Cromwell, and beyond to Bannockburn where we’ll visit Felton Rd and Mt Difficulty wineries. 150 years ago Central Otago followed California as gold rush country, and this evening we’ll stay in the preserved gold mining town of Clyde, at Oliver’s Restaurant and Lodge – a very special place, and a chance to taste the best of the local produce with Central Otago wines.

Day 12 – Monday 17th January 2005

This morning we drive an hour north to Lake Wanaka where we will visit our last winery on this tour – Rippon – perhaps the most beautiful in the world: renown for its lake backdrop. The wine is pretty good too! Here we will taste one of the region’s best pinot noirs with 2nd generation winemaker Nick Mills. After our farewell lunch in Wanaka, we return to Queenstown to transfer you to your hotel or onward coach or flight.