Ferry Ride from North Island to South Island

This wine tour was booked through the Interislander Ferry website as a package. No one in Wellington or onboard the ferry seemed to know that the ferry offered this service, but thankfully the ground crew in Picton directed me to the tour office. The ferry crossing from Wellington takes about 3 hours. A new ship has just been launched that, once complete, will include a movie theater, children's playroom, etc. There are a number of restaurants, reclining seats, and attentive service.

Once in Picton, it’s a short walk to the tour office. The tour is operated out of a small van that seats about nine people. The tour guide I had was not great. She was new to the area and knew only a little about wine, but if you have questions, the staff at the tasting rooms should be able to answer them.

The tour included four vineyards (Hunter's, Cloudy Bay, Saint Claire, and Mudhouse). We had extra time, so the tour guide let us peruse a jam shop, sample spirits at Prinzels, and buy some handmade chocolates from a local chocolate shop. The selection of wines to be tasted at each vineyard will vary, but I got a chance to try Sauvingnon Blanc, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir, sparkling wine, a Breidecker (really unusual) Chardonnay, and Merlot. I took several wine tours in New Zealand, and I wished the guide on this tour had had more knowledge to impart.

Open 9:30am-4:30 pm M-Sat. (All Year) Open 10-4 Sun. (All year) There is a restaurant open for lunch on the premises, and there is an artist in residence also is on the premises. Hunter's is a prize-winning vineyard with a broad selection of wines to choose from, but the staff was a little snooty. Most of my tour group had never been to a tasting before, and since our guide didn't know much, it would have been nice for the staff to have been more informative. We tasted the Hunter's Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Breidecker, Pinot Noir, The Chase (pinot, merlot, cab sav blend), and Merlot. The prices ranged from NZ$15.95 (Riesling, Chase) to NZ$23.75 (pinot noir).

Open 10am to 4:30pm Monday to Sunday, it has a beautiful tasting room that looks into the barrel room of the winery. The local Kiwis on the tour said that Cloudy Bay was a very popular and well-known label in New Zealand. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. They were helpful in answering questions. We tasted their Pelorus NV, Pelorus Vintage, Sauvignon Blanc, Te Koko (alternative style of Sauvignon Blanc), Chardonnay, Gewurtztraminer, and Pinot Noir. The prices ranged from NZ$26 for the Gewurtz to NZ$39 for the Pelorus vintage. This was one of the more expensive wineries we visited on this tour.

The winery is open 7 days a week from 9am to 5pm. There is a cafe and an on-site preserves shop. They sell, and you can sample jams, chutneys, pickles, and olive oil.

A very friendly and knowledgeable winery staff operates the tasting room.