The beautiful Wairarapa has always been Wellington’s playground. The attractive rural towns of Greytown and
Carterton are bustling with cafes and craft shops, and one only need to visit
the village of Martinborough to taste world-class
wines. And those a little more curious
will have found the wine producers of Gladstone and Masterton are of equal
ability, only less well-known. If you
are in the Wairarapa, enjoying the benevolent weather and pastoral scenery, it
is well-worth spending some time at Gladstone
where there are plenty of attractions for wine and food lovers especially.
Highly recommended is the Gladstone Vineyard and Café. Christine and David Kernohan have seen the
winery and café business grow phenomenally over the past few years. The Glasdstone Vineyard wines have fared very
well in competitions and the demand for the wines necessitated the building of
a new 250 tonne winery in 2005. Regional
Wines has featured the 2009 Rosé, 2008 Pinot Gris and 2006 ‘Auld Alliance’ in
promotions recently, but all the wines are recommended. The café is beautifully set, and the food
from Zane Saba, ex Café Cecille in Masterton is first-class. With Leo Donworth (wife of Rusty, at Boulcott Street)
looking after the wines, there is considerable expertise on-site. A superb matching is the scallops with the
winery-only 2008 ‘Sophie’s Choice’ oak-aged Sauvignon Blanc.
While In Gladstone,
you can visit Fairmont Estate next-door to Gladstone Vineyard. They’ve been very successful with their Pinot
Noirs. And you must call in to the
Gladstone Inn, just a kilometer or so down the road towards the Ruamahanga river,
to say ‘hello’ to Sara (ex Regional Wines) and Warren, who took over the pub
six years ago. If you drive to nearby Dakins Road, you
will see the striking growth in vineyard plantings typical of the area. Fruit for the wines of Borthwick, Johner,
Joseph Ryan, Mebus and Urlar is grown here, and a number of the vineyards can
now accommodate visitors.
The Wairarapa is a wonderful place to be in the summer, and the wine and
hospitality scene is such a boon for those who wish to enjoy the region.