The Wairarapa is a relative newcomer on the New Zealand wine scene.

	Wine from Te Kairanga Vineyard in the Wairarapa, one of 26 wineries in the Wairarapa region.
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Less than 30 years later, some of the country's most prestigious wines flow from Martinborough, the most famous wine district in the Wairarapa region. Palliser Estate, Dry River, Martinborough Vineyard and Ata Rangi produces some of New Zealand's greatest pinot noirs.

A muscular little pinot

If you taste a Martinborough pinot noir, its fullness of body and ripeness reflect the relative warmth of this North Island district. It is fascinating to compare a Martinborough pinot noir with an example of the same variety from Central Otago. Grown 800km apart, the wine styles are clearly different, with the Martinborough wine more muscular, spicy and firmly structured.

The Wairarapa is an incredibly versatile region, producing good merlot, chardonnay, gewürztraminer, sauvignon blanc, riesling and pinot gris.

A leisurely stroll

A picturesque rural retreat in the Wairarapa.
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With its host of lodges, boutique hotels and B and B's, the Wairarapa is popular with Wellingtonians as a great place to spend a weekend. The Martinborough Wine and Food Festival, staged in early November, is one of the most high profile wine events in the country.

In Martinborough, a pancake-flat area surrounded by low hills, most of the vineyards are a mere stone's throw from each other. You can literally walk around the vines. You can even attempt the annual Round The Vines half marathon through the vineyards, tasting the excellent pinot noirs as you run!

If you don't feel inclined to stretch your legs to that degree, you can simply visit the Martinborough Wine Centre in the town square, which has most of the wines of the Wairarapa available for purchase.

Wairarapa highlight

Palliser Estate, at the entrance to town, in three years out of the past four has won the trophy for champion commercial white wine at the Air New Zealand Wine Awards with its Sauvignon Blanc.

Ata Rangi produces a wonderful, notably powerful and complex pinot noir, backed up by a stunning Craighall Chardonnay. The founder, Clive Paton, a man of few words, has a true passion for pinot noir. His wife, Phyll, was a winemaker at Montana until they pooled their winemaking talents. You can't help but celebrate their spectacular success.