Martinborough Winemakers Open Cellar Doors

Martinborough Winemakers Open Cellar Doors For Spring

- Lots of local events and a unique opportunity to sample aged wines

Martinborough winemakers are opening their cellar doors with a flourish to entice wine lovers to celebrate spring by exploring the region's wine village.

Running throughout September, 'Cellar Dweller' month is packed with a range of events such as special wine tastings, vineyard tours and wine and food matching, as well as the opportunity to win a fabulous array of prizes including limited release wines and local products.

"Local businesses are also joining forces with wineries to welcome visitors to the town," Wines From Martinborough Executive Officer Cath Hopkin says. "There are picnic packs to take on the wine trail and bike options for those wanting to cycle between wineries or explore the local countryside."

The focus during the month will be on aged wines, with visitors able to enjoy the rare opportunity to sample highly sought after aged wines and learn more about the aging process.

"Martinborough vignerons have dug out some treasures from their cellars to offer visitors during this month. Wine lovers will be able to compare wines that have been cellared for some time with those that are still in the barrel and learn more about how and why to age wine."

This is a special treat for wine lovers as some of the wines on offer aren't widely available and are rarely seen on wine store shelves. "Some of these wines don't even make it outside the district due to high demand and low production levels."

Cath Hopkin says there will be a great range of activities taking place during the month starting with Escarpment Vineyard's Red and White Weekend on 1-2 September. The weekend will feature a series of events including a pinot noir '101' tasting, the launch of new release wines, vineyard and garden tours, and an exclusive 'Red and White' dinner with food prepared by acclaimed chef Martin Bosley matched to a selection of Escarpment wines.

Other vineyards are planning wine and food matching, vineyard and barrel room tours and special tastings throughout the month. Some of the planned events include:
Special matched wine and dinner evenings at Alana Estate
The opportunity to blend your own Pinot Noir at Te Kairanga
A jewellery exhibition at Haythornthwaite Wines
A special tasting of Chardonnays spanning a decade at Murdoch James Estate
Storytelling and book signing of new children's book by local writer and cartoonist Scott Tulloch at Martinborough Vineyard
Olive oil cooking demonstration at MINT
The prestigious Rutherford art collection on show at Palliser Estate as well as aged tastings

Visitors that make a purchase at a Cellar Dweller venue will go into a prize draw to win an indulgence weekend in Martinborough, limited release wines, local products, and highly sought after Toast Martinborough festival tickets. A number of individual wineries are offering additional prize draws with wine and meal purchases, including vineyard cottage stays, wine and food hampers and bottles of vintage wine.

As well as encouraging visitors to Martinborough during spring, Cath Hopkin says the Cellar Dweller month aims to help dispel the myth that few wineries in the area are open for cellar door tastings and sales.

"With 21 wineries offering cellar door tastings, visitors are spoilt for choice in the range of wineries to visit. We hope that Cellar Dwellers will encourage people to visit Martinborough more often to explore new and different wineries to those they've visited in the past, or know from the Toast Martinborough festival."

Cath Hopkin says Martinborough offers visitors a unique wine tour experience compared to that of larger, more commercially focused wine producing areas.

"With 'cellar' doors hosted by winemakers in their wineries, garages, gardens and even in their private lounges, visitors get a more intimate and memorable encounter," she says.

"Cellar Dwellers is a wonderful opportunity for wine lovers to soak up the boutique wine village atmosphere of Martinborough, and learn more about what makes the wines from this area so distinctly different."

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