Kelly was our first New Zealand Pinot Personality prize winner. Her spirit region was Marlborough so she bid farewell to the bright lights of Sydney and escaped across the ditch for an incredible trip immersed in the homeland of New Zealand’s most well known variety, Sauvignon Blanc as well as it’s neighbour, Nelson, the aromatics capital of the country. What she was surprised to find once she landed, was quite how suited the regions are to Pinot Noir. Kelly shares her travels with us in part two, of a two part blog series. Read part one here.
From Nelson to Marlborough in three days
The second half of the Pinot Personality trip took us away from Nelson and through to Marlborough. We hit the road and cruised the countryside, taking in all of the breathtaking views and lush landscapes. When we made it to Blenheim after our singalong road trip we were ready to embrace all of the wine oriented activities.
Pinot Noir Blending at Wither Hills
The amazing team at Wither Hills made us feel so incredibly special by setting up a pinot blending session and a tour through the grounds and cellar. It was a true experience and we felt like mad pinot scientist geniuses with our wine mixing. I would definitely recommend doing this experience with a pal or a group of people because 1. It’s fun and 2. You understand what type of flavours and tones you enjoy. For Vicky and I, although we enjoy a lot of the same wine, turns out our optimal pinot blend is completely different.
We then spent the afternoon cycling through the flat streets of Blenheim (no electric motor needed this time). We were so chuffed by the range of cellar doors and the style of wine these incredible wine makers were serving. Definitely picked up a bottle or five on this particular day. Another nugget of advice for everyone though; don’t try to tandem and if you manage to do it tiddly please tell me because we couldn’t do it.