Martinborough Wine Tour from Wellington: Meet the Winemakers

Three vineyards, six wines at one, seven more over lunch, and the people who made them

A full-day wine tour from Wellington to Martinborough with a private guide, visiting three estates to taste wines directly from winemakers and a sommelier, including a gourmet lunch with locally sourced food boards and seven wine pairings. Available Thursday to Sunday. Wednesday to Sunday for horizontal tastings only. Pickup from Wellington included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Martinborough wine tour and tastings

• Meet and greet at Wellington hub
• Travel to Wairarapa via Remutaka hill road
• Stop for photos at 555 meters elevation
• Meet winemaker and tour vineyards
• Cheese tasting with 2024 vintage wines
• Gourmet lunch with 7 wine tastings
• Vertical Pinot Noir tasting at Luna Estate
• Explore Martinborough village and town square

The experience

The drive from Wellington crosses the Remutaka hill road in 75 minutes, climbing to 555 meters for a photo stop before dropping into the Wairarapa. You'll taste at a micro-producer making no more than 20,000 bottles a year: the kind of scale where the winemaker still knows every vintage by hand. The first stop includes five wines (Pinot Noir, Merlot, Rosé, Semillon, Chardonnay) with a cheese and olive tasting, all sourced from the 2024 vintage that won recognition at the Decanter Wine Awards.

Lunch happens at Coney Wines with Lisa Coney, the winemaker, pouring seven wines alongside a shared gourmet board: slow-cooked beef cheeks, herb-marinated lamb rump, arancini, a beetroot and walnut salad, roasted cauliflower with goat cheese, and cornflake prawns with tamarillo chutney. The wines lean Alsace style (Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris) grapes planted here by an Irish settler's wife from that region over a century ago. You'll also taste a 2024 Pinot Noir from the Te Muna valley soils.

The afternoon brings a vertical tasting at Luna Estate: five vintages of Pinot Noir (2016, 2018, 2020 Eclipse, 2020 Silver River, 2021) walked through by a wine expert who explains how the same vineyard shifts across years. The day ends in Martinborough village itself, laid out in the shape of the Union Jack, with time to walk the square and browse the cafés, boutique shops and galleries before the return to Wellington.

What’s included

• Pickup from Wellington.
• luxury car or van transport.
• three estate visits with winemaker or sommelier-led tastings.
• gourmet lunch with locally sourced shared food boards.
• water throughout the day.
• a private guide fluent in English.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:00 and 10:00

AgesAdult (18 to 65 years) · Senior (66 and older) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (6 to 12 years) · Infant (under 6)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on siteNZ$ 35

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcome

Operated by Kosher Tours & Travel NZ

Is this one for you?This is a shared tour with a private guide, not a solo experience. You'll travel with other wine drinkers and taste alongside them at each stop. Choose it if you want the winemakers and the sommelier doing the talking and the pouring, and you want to spend the afternoon tasting rather than learning to taste yourself.

Traveler reviews

4.95★★★★★★★★★★

66 verified traveler reviews

5 ★63

4 ★3

3 ★0

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (6 to 12 years); Infant (under 6).

What's the difference between the Thursday-to-Sunday tour and the Wednesday option?

Thursday to Sunday includes the full experience: three venues, the winemaker meetings, the gourmet lunch with seven wine pairings, and the vertical tasting. Wednesday offers horizontal tastings only: six wines from two estates across vintages 2016 to 2021, led by a sommelier, without the lunch or winemaker introductions.

How much wine do I actually taste across the day?

You'll sample five wines at the first estate with cheese, seven wines during the gourmet lunch, and five more Pinot Noir vintages at the vertical tasting: 18 wines total, though you choose how much of each you pour.

Does the tour include the drive from Wellington?

Yes. Pickup from Wellington is included, and the drive to Martinborough takes 75 minutes each way via the Remutaka hill road, with a photo stop at the summit viewpoint.

What is Martinborough's connection to Alsace wines?

Martinborough was founded by John Martin, an Irish settler whose wife was from Alsace. She planted Alsace grape varieties (Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurztraminer) that still grow throughout the region today and define much of the local wine style.

Can I choose wine by the glass or bottle during the tour?

Wine by the glass or bottle is available as an option you select at checkout, allowing you to purchase additional tastings or full bottles beyond what the tour includes.