7 Best Sights in Blenheim, Upper South Island and the West Coast

Jane Hunter is an internationally respected winemaker and a pioneer of wine making in Marlborough. A visit to her wine cellar, a restored old farm house, is a delight. You can also savor wine with an artisan cheese and meat board in the 5-acre garden, an environmental showpiece for the rare native plants it protects. There’s also a regular artist-in-residence. Famous Hunter wines include the Kaho Roa (oak-aged sauvignon blanc), pinot noir, and the Miru Miru (Māori for "bubbles").

War stories are brought to life with actual historic planes placed in settings dramatized by New Zealand's Oscar-winning special-effects teams Weta Digital and Wingnut Films. The planes are from famed director Sir Peter Jackson's collection. World War I–era planes, and the stories of their pilots, are showcased in the Knights of the Sky exhibition. Dangerous Skies focuses on aviation development during World War II. There's also a café and shop.

One of the most respected Marlborough winemakers, Allan Scott launched his own company in 1990, and his whole family is now involved in the business. They make well-respected sauvignon blancs, chardonnays, pinot gris, pinot noirs, methode traditionelle (try the Blanc de Blancs), gewürztraminers, and rieslings (the last two are particularly good). The cellar door adjoins the indoor–outdoor Allan Scott Bistro, which opens out to a delightful herb garden. Marlborough salmon fillet and seafood chowder are menu classics (open for lunch only, closed in winter).

Since its first vintage in 1985, Cloudy Bay has produced first-class sauvignon blanc, along with a range that includes an equally impressive Pelorus sparkling, chardonnays, pinot noirs, rieslings, pinot gris, gewürztraminers, and its unique barrel-aged Sauvignon Te Koko. Various tasting options are available, as are small plates of seasonal cuisine. Relax in the restful courtyard, or dine alfresco at Jack's Raw Bar, which offers clams and oysters matched with house wines.

Terroir over technology is the mantra at Fromm, one of Marlborough's smaller wineries known for its organic, sustainable growing principles. All grapes are handpicked. Fromm pioneered the local use of pinot noir and is also known for syrah, malbec, and merlot reserves. Visitors can enjoy cheese and meat platters with their tastings.

These artisan shops showcase wines alongside olive oils, fudge, homeware, quilts, ceramics, glassware, jewelry, and recipe books. Dine in the café, let the kids loose in the playground, or you can all just relax in the tranquil lakeside grounds.

From this impressive, three-story edifice of river rock, tiles, concrete, and wood, there’s a commanding view across the Wairau Valley and the Wither Hills. Tastings include award-winning sauvignon blancs and rieslings. At the popular winery restaurant, guests can relax at alfresco tables, lounge on beanbags on the lawn, or opt for more formal seating inside. A "wine library" consists of vines of wine grape varieties grown in New Zealand—30 of them lined up across the front of the winery.