These are the 7 best wineries to visit in Martinborough, New Zealand

An hour from Wellington, in the colonial town of Martinborough, I discover it’s not only world-class Pinot Noir that makes this wine region unmissable.

Wairarapa, located at the southern end of New Zealand’s North Island, produces only three per cent of the country’s wine. But this charming historic region, also loved for antique shopping, is renowned worldwide for its standout pinot noir. 

1. Ata Rangi

In the 1970s, amateur winemaker and customs officer Malcolm Abel made a discovery that would change the course of New Zealand’s wine. He confiscated pinot noir cuttings concealed in a gumboot. Later, after the quarantined vines were released, Abel bought the rootstock and shared it with Clive Paton, who cultivated it on the stony former sheep paddock that is now Ata Rangi.

Today, the horizon line of vineyards shimmers gold as it overlooks the vines through the tasting room’s wall of glass, where guests (by appointment only) wonder if those vines were pilfered from Burgundy’s legendary Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. “Around here, the wind is a bit of a secret weapon. It keeps our pinot berries quite small and concentrated,” Clive’s daughter, Vanessa Paton, whispered, pouring the 2020 pinot noir. Winemaker Helen Masters believes the age of those now-famous vines “plays a huge part in the label’s concentration and depth”. 

Ata Rangi wine room

2. Palliser Estate

Guy McMaster pours sparkling Griffin méthode traditionelle while letting us know Palliser is a pioneer in organic winemaking. Next, we take a sommelier-led Elevated Tasting and Tour through the sustainable vineyard. It’s the perfect appetiser to an excellent, flavourful lunch on the terrace. 

Autumn turned Martinborough into the Mediterranean that day, making it perfect for sampling the Italian-focused menu outdoors. Antipasti with Palliser Estate rosé, followed by gnocchetti – petite potato pillows in a rich but light gorgonzola and sage sauce matched perfectly with the “Om Santi” single-vineyard chardonnay.

Palliser is a pioneer in organic winemaking

3. Poppies

Pair an antipasti platter designed by chef Will Geisler with the ever-popular French-style rosé for a touch of Provence in Martinborough. Scarlet Boston ivy climbs the terrace wall of the elegant but unpretentious cellar door, where Poppy and Shayne Hammond greet guests like they’re family.

Sustainable wool placed under the vines minimises weeds. Wool also replaces bubble wrap for online sales, while distinctive glass bottle stoppers make Poppies bottles the ultimate in reusability. Tucked away beside the winery is the Apartment, a contemporary, minimal one-bedroom apartment where serenity is guaranteed while soaking in the deep tub overlooking the vines.

The tasting room at Poppies

4. Luna

With a rosé bar and stargazing in the Moon Garden, 28 lakeside or vineyard cottages, a restaurant, and a bistro, Luna offers a one-of-a-kind experience where tasting comes without pretension. Winemaker Joel Watson naturally crafts magnificent wine organically and sustainably. The wines’ purity highlights the low-intervention approach.

Sommelier Sam North says their tasting of five wines “is without anyone telling you what you should be tasting.” It’s flexible to accommodate all tastes. Luna Estate’s Eclipse label is single-vineyard wines from the Martinborough Terrace, and Blue Rock is crafted from older vines in the more clay-influenced vineyard.

The menu at Eclipse

5. Moy Hall

Quiet but passionately committed to letting the vineyard do the talking, Phil and Carolyn McArthur established the estate that became Moy Hall in 2015 and opened their renowned vineyard restaurant in 2018.

You can taste at the cellar door, with a flight of four wines, or select something by the glass or bottle over lunch or cheese in the courtyard. The menu champions the seasons. The 2023 Moy Hall pinot gris is a perfect match for Ika Mata (coconut and lime marinated raw fish), while the Argentinian goat carbonada and the baked portobello mushrooms deserve the 2019 pinot noir.

Moy Hall winery Lunch among the vines. Picture: Liz Bond

6. Margrain Vineyard

Family-owned since 1992, the cafe’s walls are covered in handwritten dad jokes, which makes me smile. The low-key cellar door and accommodation feel like a warm hug. Winemaker Strat Canning says the spot is historic, “The originals were Ata Rangi, Dry River, Chifney, and Te Kairanga way back then. Here, they took turns making their wines each season before they each had their tanks and equipment”.

Begin with the La Michelle Sparkling - a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Strat mentions that like Champagne, the wine, has a minimum of three years on lees (the fermentation byproduct that gives sparkling wine that irresistible mouthfeel. The Chenin Blanc is also a favourite for Margrain’s faithful drinkers.

Margrain's wineyard-side villas

7. The Runholder

On the edge of the famous Martinborough Terrace, The Runholder is where the considerable reputations of Te Kairanga, Martinborough Vineyard, and Lighthouse Gin join together under one roof. Guests can taste a little bit of everything at the contemporary cellar door, where the kitchen and gin still are all on show.

It was Martinborough Vineyard’s winemaker, Paul Mason’s first taste of Martinborough Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir that made him want to make wine. Now known as Marie Zelie Reserve Pinot Noir, the 1994 vintage will always hold a place in Paul’s heart. And now he gets to make it, too. A guided tasting experience includes five wines and a taste of Lighthouse Gin to finish. It makes for a great prelude to locally sourced dishes, including wood-fired pizzas and platters, or a full á la carte menu, and a classic Sunday roast.

Guests can taste a little bit of everything at the contemporary cellar door

Escape route

Air New Zealand offers convenient flights from Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Gold Coast, and Melbourne to Wellington. From Wellington, it’s only an hour’s drive through Lord of the Rings locations over the Rimutaka Ranges. If you prefer not to hire a car, you can take the scenic train and bus trip, which offers breathtaking views of the New Zealand countryside.

The writer was a guest of New Zealand Winegrowers.

Originally published as These are the 7 best wineries to visit in Martinborough, New Zealand