Arriving into Picton on the ferry:

After arriving into Picton on the ferry, we had about 48 hours in Marlborough, relaxing at the stellar Marlborough Lodge, to include my birthday.  We came here for the Sauvignon Blanc, which we drink a lot of in Florida, here called “Sav”.  The valley was flatter and wider than expected, with many vineyards we had not heard of.

The Marlborough Lodge:

The Marlborough Lodge could not have been a better place to base our wine tasting from, and to celebrate a birthday.   The accommodations and service were impeccable.

We did a half day bicycle wine tour, tasting at three vineyards:  Framingham, Bladen, and Nautilus.

The topography is flat, so it was an easy bike ride.  It was clear and hot the day we rode.  Our guide, Hugo, was a very informative young local guy, raised on a vineyard just yards from where we started our bike tour, and whose family sells grapes to Whitehaven.

Back at the lodge for my birthday, we celebrated with champagne and Damian’s artfully crafted chocolate birthday cake.  (I requested a small chocolate cake for my birthday while making the reservation, and this is what Damian the chef came up with).

The morning of our departure, we stopped at two more vineyards;  Whitehaven (a favorite) and Cloudy Bay.  Our “go to” Sauvignon Blanc (SB) in Florida is Whitehaven.  The tasting room attendants were quite pleased to hear how often we purchase their SB, and told us “Florida is the biggest market we have.”

Cloudy Bay Vineyards:

After two days of exploring the Marlborough wine region, we headed south on SH 1 towards Christchurch.