Private Martinborough Wine Tour: WSET Guide, Five Wineries

Taste your way through Martinborough's best without planning the route

A private wine tour of Martinborough with a WSET Level 3 qualified guide takes you to five boutique wineries over a full morning and afternoon, tasting flagship wines and exploring barrel rooms while learning each producer's story directly from their staff. The itinerary is customized ahead of time based on your wine interests, and lunch is included at one of three vineyard venues. Pickup is available from Wellington or Masterton; individuals are welcome with a small surcharge.

Step-by-step itinerary

Martinborough boutique winery visits

• Tour winery facilities with sommelier
• Taste flagship and barrel wines
• Guided tasting of current and library wines
• Enjoy informal tasting session
• Guided tasting and vineyard walk
• Tour vineyard and winery surrounds
• Taste flagship wines
• Elevated wine tasting experience
• Vineyard platter lunch

The Experience

You arrive in Martinborough or get picked up from Wellington or Masterton, and your guide—trained to WSET Level 3 level—meets you ready to build the day around what you actually want to taste. Before the tour, the operator contacts you to understand your wine interests, so the five wineries you visit and the order you visit them in are already shaped to your preferences, not a fixed route everyone follows. This means a Pinot Noir enthusiast and someone curious about natural winemaking can book the same tour and have entirely different days.

The morning and afternoon move through the wineries at a pace that lets you linger. At each stop, trained staff or your guide walk you through the current releases and sometimes library wines, explain the vineyard and winery surrounds, and take you into barrel rooms to taste wines still aging. You're tasting flagship wines—the producer's signature work—not a generic tasting flight. One stop includes a guided walk among the vines themselves. Lunch happens at a vineyard, either a platter at Nga Waka or Poppies, or Thai at Tohi, and wine is included with the meal beyond what you've already tasted.

The tour runs about seven and a half hours, with private transportation included throughout. If you're traveling solo, there's a small surcharge to join as an individual rather than as part of a group booking. The actual wineries can shift depending on the season, day of the week, and what's available, but your guide confirms the final itinerary with you in advance so there are no surprises. You can also choose to buy retail wine from any of the wineries you visit.

What’s included

• Private transportation throughout the tour.
• entry and tastings at five boutique wineries.
• barrel room access.
• vineyard lunch at Nga Waka, Poppies, or Thai at Tohi with wine included.
• all fees and taxes.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by wineinsights

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to taste strategically rather than hit every winery in town—the WSET-qualified guide and pre-tour customization mean you're not following a standard route, and the five stops are chosen to match what you actually came to learn about. Solo travelers are welcome; just note the small surcharge for individual bookings.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

22 verified traveler reviews

5 ★22

4 ★0

3 ★0

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What does a WSET Level 3 guide actually know that a regular tour guide doesn't?

A WSET Level 3 sommelier has formal certification in wine production, tasting, and service—they can explain fermentation, oak aging, soil influence and winemaking choices in detail, not just describe what's in the glass. At Martinborough's boutique wineries, that training means you're learning the producer's philosophy and technique from someone who can translate it.

Can I customize which wineries I visit, or is the list fixed?

The five wineries are customized before your tour based on what you tell the operator about your wine interests and what you want to learn. The operator contacts you ahead of time to tailor the experience, so if you want to focus on Pinot Noir, natural wines, or a specific producer's work, that shapes which doors you walk through.

Is lunch included, and what if I have dietary restrictions?

Lunch is included at one of three vineyard venues—Nga Waka, Poppies, or Thai at Tohi—and wine is served with the meal. You should mention any dietary needs when you book so the operator can arrange it with the venue.

What's the difference between the Wellington and Masterton pickup options?

Wellington pickup starts from the city; Wellington pickup and dropoff returns you there at the end of the day. Masterton pickup and dropoff serves travelers staying in or near Masterton instead. Both include all transportation during the tour itself.

How much of the day is actually spent tasting versus traveling between wineries?

The full tour is about seven and a half hours. You visit five wineries with tastings, barrel room tours, vineyard walks and lunch included, so most of the day is at the wineries themselves rather than in the car, though travel time between them is built into the schedule.

Can I buy wine to take home from the wineries I visit?

Yes, retail wine purchases are available at the wineries, and you can buy from any of them during your visit. Shipping options depend on each producer's policies.