Martinborough

Anna and Doug on the Verandah

We spent the weekend in Martinborough, a wine village, in the Wairarapa Valley. The area reminds me of Sonoma, California in the late 70s when it was charming, and before it was developed. The terrain is flat and the small towns around have a western (US) feel to them, streets edged with small wooden single storey structures arranged in rigid grid patterns. The vine covered terrain is flat and covered with netted vineyards. Vines are covered to protect the fruit from the thieving birds. The sun beats down relentlessly on the terroir, resulting in delicious wines.

Conveniently arriving at lunchtime, I practised my newly acquired Maori phrase, Kia Ora, on my NZ sister-in-law, Anna and brother-in-law, Douglas. Kia Ora is the Maori equivalent of Ciao or Shalom used as a greeting and a parting phrase. They graciously shared their lunch in the garden with their voracious N. American relations. We dined upon tangy Te Mata blue cheese, walnut sourdough bread from the local French Bakery, and ripe nectarines donated by our friend, Chris. The Ata Rangi Pinot Gris was perfectly matched to the food. The sun shone, bees and cabbage moths flitted in the lavender and rosemary bushes and (after a few glasses of vino), we felt truly blessed.

We stayed at Vynfields Villa, a 2 BR cottage owned by an organic vineyard. Their wines are mostly forgettable, but we tasted some excellent ones from Ata Rangi and Martinborough Vineyards. Ata Rangi actually has a Toronto agent – The Lifford Wine Agency on Bathurst St., so maybe we will be to enjoy these wines occasionally, if the LCBO doesn’t price them out of sight. We’ll look for their Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Crimson labels. Though the sun was beating down during our visit, the villa was cool and breezy with its metal roof and verandah. There were citrus fruits and organic herbs and vegetables ripe for picking in the adjacent garden. What more could anyone want, really?