Martinborugh, NZ

February 11, 2010

I went to several vineyards on my hired mountain bike during the forenoon. A day that started cloudy, cool and showery morphed into a beautiful summer afternoon. Scattered to broken clouds hinted that showers might recur, but they never did. It just got prettier and prettier.

Lunch was at Vynfields sitting under a magnolia next to the grapevines. It was a wonderful tomato-white bean soup and a hunk of good bread, and was served with a complimentary flight of five of their wines. They're all very good. The pinot rose and peche de noir aren't likely to get my attention, but the classic Riesling was wonderful as were the two pinot noirs, one a 2008, the other 2007 reserve. Vynfields is an organic winemaker and is getting noticed for their approach to the craft as well as their quality.

The grapes are slow to develop this year on account of cold weather. The harvest will be delayed.

The visits to a half dozen vineyards were great fun, particularly doing them on the bike. The tasting rooms were all [wo]manned by attractive young women who took care to explain what it was they were pouring. Virtually all I tasted were very good to excellent. The price points were from the mid-20's to upper 40-s NZD. I learned, too, that MA is one of the two states in the USA that they cannot ship to. State law prohibition. Stupid.

Off to Christchurch tomorrow!