8 Best Martinborough Wineries I Love And Recommend
Visiting the Martinborough wineries is a local favourite thing to do for people living in the Wairarapa and Wellington regions.
I was lucky enough to be born only a 20-minute drive from Martinborough so I had the pleasure of visiting many times, and even working in one of the wineries I’m mentioning in this blog post.
If you’re a Kiwi or you’re a tourist visiting New Zealand and want to taste some of the delicious wine that this region has to offer, then make sure you add it to your list of places to visit.
And if you’re wondering which wineries to try out, I have compiled this list for you, as well as a day itinerary that you can take to help you know where to visit and for what.
✅ If you’re more of a person that prefers to show up on the day and have everything organised for you, then book this tour. You’ll get to go around the wineries and it includes lunch too!
Tips for Wine Tastings at the Martinborough Wineries
Each winery will offer its own price and inclusions when it comes to tastings.
You can often walk in, and taste a collection of wine for anywhere between $10 – $30, and some wineries have an offer where if you buy a bottle of wine, you won’t pay for your tasting at all, or offer you a discount on your tasting which is awesome.
In some wineries, you can just casually walk into their cellar door for a tasting, and others require a booking so just double-check their website (I’ll leave a direct link to them in this blog post to make it easy for you).
Also, one thing to note is that most of these wineries are open from hours 11 am – 3 pm so I would visit the wineries which open up earlier first and then strategically plan your day (or weekend) around that.
Mondays and Tuesdays can be slower days in Martinborough so always double-check that the wineries will be open if you’re visiting on those days as I’ve met some disappointed tourists who came for a 2-night stay on Monday – Tuesday and could only visit a couple of wineries.
How many Martinborough wineries are there?
There are around 30 wineries, which honestly is pretty crazy for how small this region is but that’s because the terrain is perfect for the grapes and it produces high-quality, good-tasting products.
And if you ask me why I’m THE person to tell you about the best wineries, well my late sister Michelle was an expert at organizing wine tasting days. In fact, our record together was visiting 11 wineries in ONE day.
I’ve been coming to Martinborough for years to taste wines, and on my 21st birthday, my family hired a bus and we all went to my favourite wineries in Martinborough together which was such an awesome day!
Anyway, whether you’re visiting for the day or you’re in Martinborough for a longer stay, make sure you read and bookmark this blog post so you know where to go during your time there.
How to get to Martinborough?
If you’re coming from Wellington you’ll drive over the Rimutakas and then turn right when you get to Featherston. Everywhere is clearly signposted so you won’t get lost.
8 Best Martinborough wineries to visit
I’ve hand-selected the top 8 Martinborough wineries to visit as well as what to try and any certain information you need to know about them when it comes to tasting.
1. Poppies
I may be biased because I did work here, but then again I loved this place even before I applied for a job here.
Poppies is, in my opinion, the best winery in Martinborough.
I highly recommend coming here not only for a tasting but for a platter also. Poppy and Shane who are the owners of poppies are incredible people who love sharing their love of wine with others.
They have travelled all over the world to taste and learn different ways of creating wine.
My favourite wines are always the Rose, Riesling and the Gewürztraminer. Also, their Pinot Noir is really good as well.
If you do decide to come here for lunch, make sure you book a table in advance as it can get quite busy.
P.S. If you do visit Poppies, make sure you mention that you found out about it through Anita who used to work there!
2. Margrain
Margrain is located on the same road as Poppies and is also one of the top-tier wineries in Martinborough. I love the feeling of the place, as it feels very welcoming and homely vibes.
My favourite wines from here are the chardonnay and Pinot noir. I’ve also been here to eat at their cafe and it was really good. They sometimes have live music as well so it’s a lovely environment to chill, have a glass of wine and enjoy the music.
3. Tirohana estate
This place holds a special memory for me as my sister and I would come here for lunch sometimes as their food is so yummy, not JUST their wine!
Tirohana are open 7 days a week and offer tastings, lunch and dinner and also traditional high tea which is a unique experience in Martinborough.
Their wine is superb as well and the staff are super lovely.
Also, something else they offer, if you’re staying within Maritnovurgh village, is a free shuttle service to and from their estate so you can enjoy the food and wine without having to worry about how you’re going to get home afterwards!
4. Te Kairanga
Te Kairanga are top-class in this region. I personally love their Pinot Noir which I believe is theirs specifically although they also have beautiful Rose, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
You can visit for a tasting and see what wine they currently have available to try.
They are open for 7 days but for around 4 hours for tasting and food. If you want to dine, just book with them in advance, for tastings you can just walk in like all the other places.
5. Ata Rangi
Ata Rangi is another fantastic Martinborough winery to visit. It’s a small, family-owned organic winery.
From memory, their Pinot Noir stands out as a favourite and is one of the many you must try in their tasting room.
Actually, you may be sensing a theme that all the places I’ve mentioned the pinot noir are fantastic and that’s because the grapes in this region make for beautiful pinot noir in particular. But each winery does its spin on things so you get to taste a variety of different notes within each pinot noir.
You must book in if you would like a tasting and as I’m writing this, a tasting is $25, but complimentary if you do purchase a bottle of wine!
6. Palliser Estate
Palliser Estate is an award-winning wine and quite a popular wine around New Zealand so you may already be familiar with the name.
Although this is a widely known brand, their wines are absolutely delightful and highly worth a taste in their tasting room. You don’t have to book but it is encouraged, especially if you’re visiting in season as it can get busy.
They offer two types of tastings which I think is super unique in Martinborough – a classic wine tasting which goes for about 40 minutes and starts on the hour, every hour and is $15.
Then they have elevated wine tasting which is $70 and includes not only the tasting but a behind-the-scenes tour of the actual winery. You’ll get to taste the wine right from the barrels. It goes for an hour and a half and you’ll need to book in advance to do this tour.
They also do lunch here so you can grab a bite to eat whilst pairing some of their beautiful wines.
7. Schubert
I was introduced to this Martinborough winery on a winery tour that I went on and was so surprised that it was my first time visiting this internationally recognized wine.
The owners of Schubert have travelled to places like France, Germany, Oregon, California, South America and Australia before settling down in Martinborough and creating tasty wines for all occasions.
You must try their Pinot Noir here.
You can show up at their cellar door for a tasting, no need to book, and they are open most days for a few hours so just double-check.
8. Muirlea Rise
This family-run winery is a must-visit when you visit Martinborough.
Muirlea Rise don’t have a wide range of wines and really stick to what they are good at, which I very much appreciate.
Their must-drink is definitely the Pinot Noir but they also do delicious fortified wines (Apres) which are just amazing.
I love being able to taste something a little different, especially if you’re visiting many different wineries in Martinborough so to break up the wine tasting with some liquor is delightful and highly recommended.
Bonus – Johner Estate
This winery is not in Martinborough but I did want to include it because this one is well worth a visit before or after you leave Martinborough, and is a personal favourite of mine. It’s not too far from Martinborough either and is worth the trip.
Johner Estate in my opinion has the best white wines and is a top contender for one of the best Wairarapa wineries to visit. Their chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are some of the best.
They do offer tastings which you can just walk in and their tasting room is very homely and beautiful.
This winery was a personal favourite of my late sister Michelle, so I had to include this one for her!
That concludes the list of the best Martinborough wineries to visit. If you do visit any or all of these, come back to this post and let me know which one was your favourite!
