Wellington Wine Country

Larry McKenna speaking from the edge of his Escarpment

Our tour through New Zealand wine countries finished with two days in Martinborough and its neighbor regions, all together known as Wairarapa, and now together reclassed as Wellington Wine Country. Wellington Wine Country sits about an hour and a half drive from the city itself. It’s one of the coldest growing regions in New Zealand with one of the longest growing seasons as well. As a result, it’s brilliant for producing truly cool climate varieties like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with genuine concentration and density native to the fruit itself. Some of the founding prestige wineries of the country that first brought attention to the nation for producing high quality Pinot Noir originate here. The landscape through the region is incredible. At the same time, the townships hold a sort of country or frontier sort of feel that speaks to their remoteness, even if in proximity to the nation’s capitol. It’s a charming combination.

Here’s a look in photos as shared to Instagram while we traveled.

Big skies and wind in the Wairarapa region of Wellington Wine Country. Here in the Masterton subregion at the Matahiwi Estate. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa @matahiwiestate

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 5, 2017 at 3:47pm PST

What Brexit?! Delegates from the United Kingdom and Germany together and it feels so good. Gorgeous views at Urlar Estate in the Gladstone subregion of the Wairarapa in Wellington Wine Country. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa from left: Adam Clarke and Peter Badenhop @clarkeadam75

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 5, 2017 at 4:42pm PST

Oh my Bella, I love you too. My new friend, the Kunekune pig at Gladstone Vineyard in the Gladstone subregion of Wairarapa in Wellington Wine Country. She’s full of advice on how to move to New Zealand and what it means to respect the land. Lovely girl. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwine @gladstonevineyard

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 5, 2017 at 6:42pm PST

Well look at that! A Gruner-like Gruner right here in the Te Muna Road subregion of the Wairarapa. The whites of the region bring a feeling of delicacy while still offering persistent mouth stimulation and here that white pepper character so integral to the variety. Refreshing and nicely focused. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa @bigskywines

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 5, 2017 at 7:05pm PST

A genuine pleasure to spend the day with Katherine Jacobs of Big Sky wines as she tours us through the Wairarapa. Here welcoming us to a regional winegrower dinner hosted by Escarpment in the Te Muna portion of Martinborough. Amazing views. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa @bigskywines

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 5, 2017 at 10:41pm PST

Commercial fishing in Alaska growing up was often unbelievably tiring as a result of working for long days and even days at a time on few hours of sleep. It was watching and reading the skies that would get me through. Watching the skies has continued to be one of my great loves connecting me powerfully to some regions for the vibrancy and life that moves through the horizon. New Zealand for this is incredible. Here looking North from Escarpment in the Te Muna area of Martinborough. Stunning. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 5, 2017 at 10:45pm PST

Holy carp, these are good. Cambridge Road Pinot and Dovetail (a Syrah-Pinot coferment) are incredible. Stand out wines for New Zealand. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa @cambridgeroad

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 6, 2017 at 1:31am PST

Quaffable as all get out. Glug glug glug the heck out of this. Di Dove Sei Syrah-Pinot coferment only 12.5% from Cambridge Road. Refreshing. Delicious. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa @cambridgeroad

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 6, 2017 at 1:35am PST

Solid, versatile and friendly oak fermented Sauvignon Blanc carrying the delicate while savory signature of the region. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa @matahiwiestate

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 6, 2017 at 2:05am PST

Winemaker Larry McKenna discusses the Wairarapa from the edge of the Escarpment. The Te Muna area of Martinborough, Wellington Wine Country. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa @escarpmentvineyard

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 6, 2017 at 2:11am PST

Hands down best butter I’ve ever had in my life – Lewis Road’s from here in Wairarapa. From Martinborough, I believe. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa @lewisroadcremery

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 6, 2017 at 10:34am PST

Founding members of the Curly Girl and Lipstick club with one of our honorary knights (being appointed knight is a very high honor. It means you are one of our favorite people anywhere). A total honor to have the morning tasting with Helen Masters and Clive Paton at Ata Rangi. From left: Madeline Stenwreth MW from Sweden, Helen Masters, Clive Paton, me. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa @ata_rangi @madsmw

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 6, 2017 at 12:35pm PST

The Ata Rangi 2015 Craighill Chardonnay from Martinborough opens with nuanced aromatics that move to an elegant sweep across the palate. Full of savor from a not quite chalk-salinity woven with the texture of raw silk cut to the lines of a floor length gown. Lovely, textural, fresh and nuanced. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa @ata_rangi

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 6, 2017 at 1:03pm PST

Utterly finessed and beautiful. Ata Rangi 2014 Pinot Noir from Martinborough. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa @ata_rangi

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 6, 2017 at 1:23pm PST

Delicious freshness and subtlety while also full of flavor. Nicely done Syrah showing an easy confidence that gives the fruit the chance to show its radiance rather than relying on extraction to deliver power. Nicely done. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa @schubertwines

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 6, 2017 at 1:52pm PST

There is a gentle element to the white wines of Martinborough that still carries in it concentration of flavor and power of persistence, where even when the signature flavors of a variety like Sauvignon appear they do so not so much softly (they still carry tension and poise) as with patience, as if assertiveness or pushiness is unnecessary because the flavors without question will arrive in your mouth over time. Here the Urlar 2016 Sauvignon Blanc carries that gentle persistence somehow also with fresh verve and even curiosity. Pleasant, feminine and flavorful. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa @urlar_wine

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 6, 2017 at 2:02pm PST

The southern point of the north island looking over Palliser Bay from Wharekauhau in the southern Wairarapa. Gorgeous spot for lunch. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 6, 2017 at 3:46pm PST

The salted version of the best butter I have ever had in all my life from Lewis Road Creamery. All organic milk and craftsmanship. In mere hours I have successfully converted delegates from Scotland, Germany and England to Lewis Road butter converts and they are now gorging themselves on bread and butter. My work here is done. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 6, 2017 at 4:09pm PST

Sketching sense impressions from tasting on the trip through New Zealand to eventually do illustrations of the wines. (I don’t expect these particular ones to make sense to anyone else they are just a way to get my thinking started. When I am tasting wine I get a lot of visual and tactile experience in relation to the flavors of a wine. At times the multisensory experience of tasting makes it hard for me to use words to describe wine in a way I think others will recognize. So I started sketching the wines instead. Sketching the shapes of how a wine feels to me like shown here gives me a way to record my memory of a wine while I search for descriptors to give it later. These particular sketches are me thinking through regional characteristics rather than single wines.) #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 7, 2017 at 5:30pm PST

United Nations international wine mission for world peace delegate from the United States in the van alone en route to the airport. Will report back to her colleagues in California and beyond on mission findings. Report: I’ve left my heart in New Zealand. (Seems like I must need that my heart.) Must return for further research. #nzwine Thank you to @nzwinegrowers and @nzwineusa for a life changing trip, good wine and even better people.

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 6, 2017 at 5:55pm PST

There it is full, the New Zealand notebook Jan/Feb 2017. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 6, 2017 at 6:02pm PST

Unbelievably grateful. Air New Zealand has had great service every leg of our tour through the country. Excited to fly business class on the trip back to the States thanks to a lucky upgrade. #nzwine @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa @air_new_zealand @flyairnz

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 6, 2017 at 10:35pm PST

Brilliant summary of trip to New Zealand captured in one photo by Sarah: Spend time with remarkable people. Be totally silly while also taking all your work seriously. Love everyone and be struck by how loving they are too (what a fantastic country of beautiful people). Laugh more steadily than ever in your life. Be joy. Find joy in/from others. (Thank you again to everyone for a fantastic trip.) #nzwineusa @nzwinegrowers @nzwineusa Thank you you to Sarah for sending this awesome photo from Nelson. @paulpujol

A post shared by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 6, 2017 at 11:15pm PST

Copyright 2017 all rights reserved. When sharing or forwarding, please attribute to WakawakaWineReviews.com.