Visiting Nelson

Peter and Peter enjoy a beer – my favorite photo from the entire trip. More of the story below…

Many of my very favorite moments from our travels through New Zealand happened in Nelson. What an incredible community and place! The area sits facing the Tasman Bay at the edge of the world’s largest ocean, but with its placement in the Bay the region receives a bit more protection than those directly facing the Pacific. As a result, the waters off Nelson play host to an incredible array of sea life, including regular whale migrations, but can also be visited safely for water sports. A natural barrier wall borders the town and people are regularly there paddle boarding, kayaking, swimming or looking for sea life. On top of the natural splendor of the area, Nelson is also an incredible artist community. That feeling of creative celebration infuses itself through the winemaking, the food, and the town itself. It truly is one of my favorite places I’ve ever visited.

While in Nelson our international wine troupe focused primarily on the Aromatics Symposium, tasting aromatic white varieties from all over New Zealand. As a result we saw fewer wines simply from the region itself but the generosity Nelson showed in hosting the Symposium gave us great opportunity to meet winemakers from all over the country and taste such wines as well. A few of my stand outs from the trip were found here and some of our best adventures too. Here’s a look through photos as shared at the time on Instagram.

Love this so hard. We’ve arrived in Nelson. The main hotel in town is the Rutherford, named for Earnest Rutherford, the first man to figure out how to split the atom, born in Nelson. I was hoping to stay in the Geiger-Marsden room but no such luck. They’re level of geekery stops at the naming of the Atom Cafe. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jan 27, 2017 at 5:26pm PST

Wonderfully aged 2007 Pinot Gris from Prophet’s Rock. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa @paulpujol

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jan 27, 2017 at 7:50pm PST

Stand out wine of a New Zealand wide aromatics tasting: Ostler 2015 Spatlese Riesling. Really nicely balanced. Delicious textural wine. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa @ostlerwine

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jan 27, 2017 at 9:57pm PST

The joy of men that have earned their beer. Irreplaceable. (From left: Peter McCombie MW of New Zealand and Peter Badenhop of Germany swam across the Mapua Inlet and back (with rather strong current) in exchange for a beer each. I am completely impressed.) #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa @petermccombie @chrisnzwine

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jan 27, 2017 at 10:20pm PST

Not sure I could be happier. From left: Peter Bodenhof of Germany, David Keck of Texas USA,, Me of Alaska and California, Jaimie Bueno of the U.K., Ken Ohishi MW of Japan and Akihiko Yamamoto of Japan. Mapua Inlet. Nelson. Beautiful. Really special group. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jan 28, 2017 at 12:34am PST

Girl walking barefoot across the rocks you pick her up carry her to easier ground… #Repost @drjamiegoode ・・・ @hawk_wakawaka and @nzwineuk having fun in Nelson @nzwineeurope #nzwine

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jan 28, 2017 at 1:05am PST

Really psyched about this – getting started with a New Zealand Riesling master class looking at regional characteristics across styles led by winemaker Andrew Hedley of Framingham and Bob Campbell MW. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jan 28, 2017 at 12:39pm PST

Strong flight of New Zealand Pinot Gris with wines from Greystone, Serasin, Greywacke, Gibbston Valley and Prophet’s Rock. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa @greystonewines @seresinestate @greywackevineyards @gibbstonvalleywinery @paulpujol

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jan 28, 2017 at 6:24pm PST

Nelson really is beautiful. It ranges from pastoral rolling hills as shown here to dramatic mountain and water landscapes. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jan 28, 2017 at 7:04pm PST

In love with the botanical verve of the Moutere hills of Nelson both native and not. White flowers have always been my favorite. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jan 29, 2017 at 2:47pm PST

Seamus and the Corn. Living large at Neudorf in the Moutere hills of Nelson. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa @seamusbrandt @neudorfvineyards

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jan 29, 2017 at 3:09pm PST

Delicious, fresh, finessed. Lovely wines from Neudorf. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa @neudorfvineyards

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jan 29, 2017 at 4:09pm PST

EVEN NEW ZEALAND CAKES ARE GORGEOUS. WTH. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa

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United Nations wine mission with diplomats from New Zealand, Australia, England, Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Venezuela, Canada, the United States, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, Russia, Norway, Singapore, Borneo, Brazil, China, Denmark and Hong Kong take over every single seat in the plane from Nelson to Wellington. Pinot Noir NZ get ready! #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa @pinotnoirnz

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jan 29, 2017 at 6:14pm PST

To learn more about Nelson, check out Nick Stock’s video on the region as produced for the Pinot Noir NZ 2017 event. It gives you a feel of that intersection between artist and winegrowing community.

Nelson Marlborough Wine Regions Pinot Noir NZ 2017 from Pinot Noir NZ on Vimeo.

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