The Wairapa: Martinborough

Imagine a location where the 90’s still live strong. Pearl Jam, Nirvana and old Green Day dominate the airwaves. Some of the best kiwi albums are of ska influence. Currently we’re staying with a young couple both heavily invested in wine.
Lance, our boss, runs a few small plots of land for his vineyard, which is currently expanding outside our door to house all aspects of the wine making process (we’re living right in the vineyard). Cambridge Road Winery is an organic and biodynamically crafted wine.
Bridie (Micah calls her Birdie) manages Martinborough’s Wine Centre (pronounced center). After many evenings drinking many bottles of wine and a tasting at the Centre with her guiding us, we know she knows her wines quite well.
Young Aston- years two and a quarter- pretty as pumpkin pie, is just now getting comfortable with Micah. They watch Dora the Explorer together. They both smiled and held hands.
The vineyard on which we are staying has 25 rows of Pinot Noir and ten of Syrah. It lies flat over an ancient river bed (free flowing soil). This is truly WWOOFing as we wake up each morning and begin the day with coffee (although not up to Micah’s standards) or tea, toast and maybe eggs, if Lance remembers to bring them. We tried Vegemite this morning. It’s repulsive (Micah says, and I quote “It’s God-awful disgusting”). Image salty fish oil butter, although it’s made mostly of yeast. The Kiwi’s love it!
After we choked down our breakfast, Vegemite and all, out to the vines for pruning, leafing and sore backs from sunburn or from being bent over the Syrah hanging about 20cm off the ground.
We love it here.
The food isn’t better, and is often late to be delivered (especially today= Kelsey is furious), and no stunning cliff drops to the ocean, though the mountains make an astounding backdrop to this pastoral wine town (all of the vineyards were sheep farms/vegetable gardens at one time), this week and a half has vanished under clear blue skies.
Here, they seem more welcoming to strangers, and say wonderful things about Australia, and Australians. Great waves for surfing, good wines for quaffing, and sensational sights for viewing. Last weekend was the Martinborough Fair, bringing vendors with shirts, lemon cordial, driftwood art, but no belts! Made from local Bull Skins!, to town, and town swelled and hummed for a full twelve hours before the crowds abdicated the town back to the villagers. The librarians agreed, saying it was good to be busy. They smile as they watch us posting on our blog.