By Annette Shailer
The final day of the NILWA tour finished with a bang on Friday (Feb 21) with delegates enjoying some clay pigeon shooting at The Ned Winery in Marlborough, New Zealand.
The sharp shooting was followed by a tour of The Ned’s impressive state of the art wine making facility with proprietor and winemaker Brent Morris.
To finish, the group enjoyed a tasting of the range The Ned wines, with the pinot gris a particular stand out.
The previous few days saw the group enjoy the fruits of the Marlborough district, learning about the different wines, wine-making processes and local produce.
Standouts included a traditional Maori Dance Group at the Giesen Winery, which included a telling of the history and meaning of the Ka mate! Haka.
Also at the winery were two of the Giesen brothers, Alex and Marcel, who were on hand to take the group through the Marlborough sauvignon blanc, pinot noir and pinot gris wines matched with fantastic local produce such as regal salmon and lamb.
Following a tour and tasting at Brancott Estate winery delegates enjoyed an outstanding dinner cruise courtesy of their hosts.
The group was treated to breath-taking New Zealand scenery whilst sampling a range of Brancott Wines matched with greenshell mussels, salmon and other local treats.
Fine Wine Partners hosted the group at the stunning Villa Maria and Wither Hills wineries, with the winemakers showcasing their range of wines alongside greenshell mussels, eye fillet and local cheeses.
Delegates also enjoyed a comprehensive tasting in the barrel room at the picturesque Cloudy Bay vineyard thanks to Moet Hennessy.
This was followed by a lunch at Drylands Restaurant hosted by Constellation Wines which showcased a selection of Kim Crawford wines.
“The trip has enabled our touring party to experience the pristine nature of the Marlborough region. Every winery we visited posses something unique that makes their wines marketable back in Australia,” said NILWA managing director Martin O’Mara.
“We have learnt a lot from the sessions at each winery and had some fun, further cementing relationships along the way”.
The tour concluded with a Matua Valley Winemakers Lunch at The Pier Hotel, Kaikoura thanks to Treasury Wines Estates, followed by an Absolut Vodka Party at the Novotel in Christchurch.