Picton Cruise Ship Shore Excursion Marlborough Wine Tour
Description
Departing from the Picton I-Site, this guided Jade Wine Tour transfers you by air-conditioned minibus to the Wairau Valley for a personalised tasting experience. Visit a selection of large and family-run wineries to sample Marlborough’s famous Sauvignon Blanc and other varietals, learn about barrel maturation in the cellars, and enjoy scenic photo stops. Each tour is planned around the specific arrival and departure times of your cruise ship, allowing for a flexible itinerary that makes the most of your time ashore while ensuring a comfortable return to port. The tour includes a stop for lunch at a vineyard restaurant (own cost) and, time permitting, a visit to a chocolate factory and a lookout with views of your ship.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet your guide at the Picton i-Site after your cruise ship docks. Then board a luxury minibus and enjoy the drive through the Koromiko mountain pass to the Marlborough wine region while your guide points out ecological and historical places of interest; this small-group tour is limited to 11 people to ensure a more intimate atmosphere. You will visit four or five cellar doors (time permitting) around the Marlborough vineyards. Taste their award winning wines and learn how Marlborough's Sauvignon Blanc has reached the pinnacle of sophistication, then take a stroll through a vineyard and learn how climate, soil, and skill combine to make these incredible wines. Marlborough is not all about Sauvignon Blanc - we have stunning Rieslings, crisp and fruity Pinot Gris, oaked and unoaked Chardonnay and our renown Pinot Noir. A stop will be made for lunch (own expense), featuring delicacies such as mussels, salmon, venison or beef when available. Alternatively, a light meal of gourmet local cheeses to pair with your wine might suffice. On the way back to the port, we stop at the chocolate factory for a nibble of hand-made gourmet chocolates. You will return to the Picton wharf at least 90 minutes before your cruise ship departs.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Free shuttle buses take passengers from the quay to the Picton i-site (or a short walk from the small berth terminal). Our Jade Tours vans and guides will be waiting in the carpark. The default tour start time is 9.30am. Please make an effort to get off the ship early to be at the carpark just after 9.00am. Some ships arrive later and you will be advised of the appropriate departure time.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Minimum age is 18 years
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
Reviews(184)
Long drive to get to wineries - so if you're in for that you might enjoy. Wineries were mediocre at best. Our guide was very knowledgeable just not that much to see and very winding roads.
Our guide John was so informative and helpful. We had an amazing day and visited some fantastic wineries including one of our favourites Villa Maria. Our lunch was sensational and it was so good to be able to be picked up from such a central location.
The wineries are beautiful, and the wine was really good. Did not realize that we had a long drive from the cruise ship., As it is a 1.5 hour trip to our destination and the same amount of time back. Our tour guide Gary was fabulous and I would recommend him to anyone.
A wonderful day enjoying lunch at one beautiful winery, and then exploring three others. The added bonus of the chocolate factory was terrific. Our guide John was friendly, knowledgeable, and informative.
Great day wine tasting with John as our guide. Excellent tour! Bruce and his team plan an excellent visit and our guide John made the day even more fun.
The wines were delicious. Lisa our driver did a great job giving us information about the area and wines.
A fun experience with superb knowledgeable staff. We were tapped out after 3 wineries and really didn't properly appreciate the 4th stop, which was a shame, because they were awesome. The food at Spy Valley (charcuterie board) was top notch.
What a wonderful tour. Everything was clean, safe, and on time. Our guide and driver Marsley was fun, informative and hospitable. Visited 4 great small wineries including a great lunch at one of them. Plus a bonus stop at a great chocolate factory. 1000% better than any cruise ship excursion.
This is a perfectly timed excursion — a great experience and a stress free return to the ship’s shuttles. Marsley was a very well informed local guide who built an itinerary that got us to 4 wineries and a delicious lunch (on our own $$). We even had time for a stop at a chocolate factory before returning to the ship. The wineries were all smaller family-owned vineyards with long histories of winemaking in Marlborough. Each one had great wines and their own character or flair that make them special. We love the local history and storytelling that made Marsley a unique guide. You will not be disappointed on this excursion!!!
We had a very small group of 10 people that were very diverse. We all got to know each other and became friends. We went to four wineries and the chocolate factory. The third winery, they gave us a beautiful charcuterie board, which was lunch. The winery was very accommodating as some of the Group did not eat meat. The wines were very good.
