Wellington Wine Tour: Martinborough Tastings & Gourmet Lunch

Taste five wines across three Martinborough estates in a single afternoon

A full-day guided wine tour from Wellington to Martinborough includes tastings at three wineries, a vertical tasting of Pinot Noir vintages, and a gourmet lunch with wine pairings on a locally sourced shared board. Your knowledgeable English-speaking guide handles the driving while you sample wines and meet the winemakers. Hotel or ship pickup is included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Wine tasting and gourmet lunch tour

• Meet at accommodation
• Drive 45 minutes to mountain top view
• Tour winery and cheese tasting
• Vertical Pinot Noir tasting at Luna Estate
• Gourmet lunch with wine tasting at Coney Wines

The experience

The day starts with a 45-minute drive from your accommodation to the Martinborough wine region, climbing to a 555-meter viewpoint before you reach the first estate. At the opening winery, you'll meet the winemaker and taste five wines (Pinot Noir, Merlot, Rosé, Semillon and Chardonnay) paired with local cheese. The second stop takes you to Luna Estate for a vertical tasting: four Pinot Noir vintages (2016, 2018, 2020 Eclipse and 2020 Silver River) plus 2021, so you can taste how the same wine changes year to year.

Lunch happens at Coney Wines, where you meet winemaker Lisa Coney and sample Alsace-style wines alongside a 2024 Pinot Noir from Te Muna Valley. The shared food board includes slow-cooked beef cheeks, herb-marinated lamb rump, arancini, beetroot and walnut salad, roasted cauliflower with goat cheese, and cornflake prawns with tamarillo chutney: each plate designed to pair with the wines you're tasting. Water and an air-conditioned vehicle keep you comfortable through the afternoon.

The tour runs Wednesday to Sunday and lasts six hours total. Your guide brings Wellington's wine culture to life without you needing to navigate the region yourself or worry about driving between estates.

What’s included

• Tastings at three Martinborough wineries.
• a vertical tasting of five Pinot Noir vintages at Luna Estate.
• gourmet lunch with locally sourced shared plates at Coney Wines.
• wine pairings throughout.
• water.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• hotel or ship pickup in Wellington.
• English-speaking guide for the full day.

Before you book

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

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

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 guide driving you between three estates, so it suits anyone who wants to taste wines without navigating the region or managing the driving themselves. The minimum age is 18, and the pace is leisurely. You're tasting and talking with other guests rather than rushing between stops.

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Top questions

What wines will I actually taste on this tour?

You'll taste Pinot Noir, Merlot, Rosé, Semillon and Chardonnay at the first estate, then do a vertical tasting of Pinot Noir from five different years (2016, 2018, 2020 Eclipse, 2020 Silver River and 2021) at Luna Estate, plus Alsace-style wines and a 2024 Pinot Noir at Coney Wines during lunch: seven tastings across the three venues.

Who is the winemaker I'll meet at Coney Wines?

Lisa Coney runs Coney Wines and will be there to talk you through the Alsace-style wines and the 2024 Pinot Noir from Te Muna Valley's award-winning soils during your lunch stop.

What's included in the gourmet lunch?

Lunch is a locally sourced shared board with slow-cooked beef cheeks, herb-marinated lamb rump, arancini, beetroot and walnut salad with artisan bread, roasted cauliflower with goat cheese and almonds, and cornflake prawns with tamarillo and chilli chutney: all paired with wine tastings at Coney Wines.

How far is Martinborough from Wellington, and how much of the day is driving?

The drive from Wellington to the wine region takes 45 minutes each way. The tour is six hours total, so you spend roughly two hours on the road and four hours at the three estates and lunch.

Is this tour suitable if I'm not a wine expert?

Yes, the tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels, and the winemakers and your guide will walk you through what you're tasting, so no prior knowledge is needed.