Moutere River

We drove to Nelson via the wine region of upper Moutere and the Hills from Marahau, the bottom side of Abel Tasman.

First stop is Neudorf Vineyards. The winery is hidden in a beautiful setting. The sommelier with a very distinct fringe serves us the Sauvignon blanc, Pinot gris , Chardonnay, Pinot rose and Pinot Noir. All their wines have a distinct texture and presence. The Chardonnay is aged in stainless steel for majority of the time so there is no resemblance of oak. My favorite was the Pinot rose, it tastes like summer in a glass, very crispy and refreshing. We got our cheese and olives out of the camper and enjoyed a picnic with a glass of the pinot rose. I love the free spirit& laid back attitude of the South Island, a world class boutique winery that let bring your own picnic goodies.

Next stop is Te Mania who shares a tasting room with Richmond Plains. Te Mania has with the largest vine rugby ball in the world, which was made when the All- Blacks defeated France in the World cup Final. I tasted the Sauvignon blanc and the blanc de noir something unique in NZ. This winery is 100% organic and biodynamic. A very informative tasting by the dutch lady that served us.

The last stop was Waimea, a very friendly cellar door tasting. I loved the sauvignon blanc. I also tried a Turkish delight and florally white, but that was a tad to sweet. We enjoyed talking to the Kiwi lady that also recommended a camp spot called Aussi Bay for tonight, she reckoned to drive through Nelson to the scenic Havelock and Marlborough sounds. Roedolf, skipped the tasting to be the responsible driver. We hanged out there for while, R had some tax work to do, so we had coffee. He tried the cheese scone,which is everywhere in NZ, they don't seem to keen on jam and cream.

The Pinot Noir's in this region is a bit more full bodied with strong berry and cherry flavours, which I adore.

Tasting the delicious whites of New Zealand was on my bucket list for South Island. The experience was amazing and I particularly liked Neudorf as it was quaint and not commercialized, they only produce 1000 barrels a year.

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