One of the problems I found in travelling around New Zealand is that the sites and things to do in an area often catered to either one group or another - either the backpackers or those travelling with a lot of money to spend. And though it's a bit different than the rest of New Zealand as far as the tourism is concerned, Marlborough for me did the combination of attractions beautifully.
Though I did mention in the start of this review that wine country isn't quite so full of those on the backpacker trail - the opposite is also largely true. This comes from the fact that many of the backpackers and student travellers who do come through New Zealand often spend time working in the Blenheim and Marlborough areas during harvest time.
And Blenheim especially does seem to be an absolute hot spot for those who work in the vineyards and seems to be populated almost entirely by seasonal workers. (The town turns into a very strange, and very different place in the evenings when the workers are on their way home from the fields.)
However - when travelling around Marlborough itself and doing the wine trail there seems to be a more subdued trickle of any certain type of traveller - and you do seem to get a more eclectic group of people who have all come to see the area and sample it's wines for their own reasons. And this, for me, was a very nice change of pace from some of the other places we had visited.
Though I always recommend that you have your own transport while visiting New Zealand, there are many wine tasting tours to be had from Blenheim if you don't, or want to sample until your heart's content.
There are even quite a few people who rent bicycles which you can ride from vineyard to vineyard. And though I wouldn't personally recommend trying to bike after too many samplings, it is a beautiful spot to do a bit of riding in and taste a few of the stunning local wines.
There is a little bit for everyone in this area, whether you are on a very tight budget and only want to sample wines, or have a bit more to spend and are happy to partake in all the area has to offer, including some really amazing B&Bs right in the vineyards and with incredible food and wine on offer.