Wine lovers flock to Marlborough festival

Marlborough Wine Festival
12 February 2011

Wine and food lovers are getting ready for one of New Zealand’s longest-running premier food and wine events - the Marlborough Wine Festival.

Marlborough’s oldest vineyard, Brancott Estate, is the venue for next year’s festival, the 28th anniversary of the event. Tickets for the festival goes on sale this week and with numbers limited to only 8000, organisers are expecting an early sell-out.

More than 30 food outlets and over 60 wineries from the Marlborough region will prepare a range of gourmet cuisine with matching local wines for food and wine lovers. Aside from eating and drinking, visitors can also participate in the Fashion in the Vines competition and listen to live Kiwi bands, all while enjoying the spectacular views from the vineyard.

Summer fling
Wine Marlborough general manager Marcus Pickens says that the festival is a perfect way to enjoy the New Zealand summer.

"The Marlborough Wine Festival is a wonderful experience for all international visitors who love gourmet food and good wine. This is a great opportunity for tourists to sample some beautiful NZ wines in a scenic local setting.

For some of them, it may be the first time that they've heard live NZ music, so we are pleased to be able to offer them a line-up of our top bands and musicians such Opensouls, The Checks and Sola Rosa."

Tickets to the festival can be purchased directly from the Ticket Direct website.

Wine tutorials
Some of Marlborough’s top wineries will hold special wine ‘tutorials’ for visitors who want to learn a little more about their favourite tipple.

The 2011 classes will look at the pros and cons of organic and biodynamic wines, as well as learning to distinguish between pinot gris and chardonnay - two often-overlooked varieties that are also produced in Marlborough.

Pickens says that visitors will be spoilt for choice with hundreds of world-class wines available all on one site.

"That plus the food, tutorials, the Fashion in the Vines competition and the entertainment makes it a must-attend event for anyone interested in wine."

Fashion and wine
As the festival is held during New Zealand’s warm summer months, part of the fun is joining in the Fashion in the Vines competition - which looks for the best-dressed male and female at the festival.

Would-be fashionistas can either join online or on the day, with judging for the competition starting at midday. Contestants will be judged on the style and originality of their outfits, grooming, deportment and the appropriateness of the garments for the festival and climate.

Background: Marlborough

Marlborough, at the top of the South Island, is New Zealand’s biggest wine-producing region and famous for its award-winning sauvignon blanc blends.

Legend has it that the great Polynesian navigator Kupe was responsible for forming the Marlborough Sounds. While in the ocean battling a giant octopus, Kupe grabbed hold of the South Island for support. As he hung on for support, Kupe’s fingers gouged out the many intricate bays and coves of the sounds.

Maori inhabited the Marlborough region from the 12th century and today, eight tribes are affiliated with the land. The first European to discover Marlborough was Captain James Cook in 1770 - settlers soon followed, arriving in the early 1800s to set up whaling stations. Farmers and miners came swiftly on their heels with the discovery of antimony in Endeavour Inlet.

Marlborough’s 100-plus vineyards produce a great range of wines apart from sauvignon blanc, including pinot gris, chardonnay, riesling, pinot noir and gewürztraminer. Many of the wineries offer locally-sourced food to match the wines and visitors can explore vineyards either self-drive or on bicycle and guided tours.

The region also produces over 80% of New Zealand aquaculture exports including king salmon, oysters, paua / abalone, kingfish, crayfish and NZ green-lipped mussels - which thrive in the deep, clear waters of the sounds.