Martinborough

Martinborough is a 75 minute drive from Wellington via SH2, and 15 minutes from Featherston and Greytown. It is a 25 minute drive from Carterton,(via Ponatahi Road) and 40 minute drive from Masterton (via either Ponatahi Road or SH2). TRANZ METRO rail operates weekend services to Featherston, and north to Masterton. Check with TranzMetro about times, fares, and transfers from Featherston.

Perhaps Martinborough was designed purely for fine wine.

No one single factor but a unique combination of climatic forcesshape the conditions for producing grapes of great flavour and complexity.  That intensity is created by Martinborough’s genuinely cool climate. Science proves what winemakers know – that building depth of flavour takes time, through cool nights and warm days over many months. That’s how to produce premium classic varietals of international standing. Martinborough days are dry and nights fresh, with four sharply defined seasons.  This is the North Island’s driest spot, in a rain shadow created by the Tararua and Rimutaka Ranges.  Extreme weather patterns are rare, although the district is prone to spring frosts.  The district is studded with angular wind machines, triggered by falling temperatures to rotate warm air from above and protect baby vines from frost damage. Some years climatic challenges dramatically reduce the crop Martinborough viticulturists and winemakers bask in one of longest growing seasons (from flowering to harvest) in New Zealand.  With significant temperature variation between day and night (the diurnal range), naturally breezy conditions to control vine vigour and a golden settled autumn ripening, the result is low-yielding of grapes with great intensity of flavour.