“I justlovethedepthanddiversityofMarlborough
wines,”saysAnna.“I loveit whenpeoplecometo
Marlboroughforsavblanc,butI loveit evenmore
whentheygoawaywithsomethingdifferent.That’s
thenextchapterintheMarlboroughstory.”
Inthemidstofallthisambitiouswinemaking,
TheMarlboroughLodgeis anoasisofcalm.It was
builtat theturnofthe20thcenturyasa conventfor
theSistersofMercyinBlenheim,thenit wasrelocated
inthe1990s,transportedinpieces 10 minutesnorth
toRapaura.In 2016 a thoroughmakeovertransformed
thebuildingintoa 10-suiteboutiquelodge,thegraceful
two-storeyweatherboardprettifiedwithwhiteornate
trimanddeep,shadyverandahs.
Thefireplaceintheloungeis blazingwhenwearrive;
bottlesoftheregion’sfinestrestonice.Myroomis the
grandlyproportionedformerchapel(althoughI prefer
tothinkofit astheMotherSuperior’sroom)with
a votive-likechandelierandecclesiasticalwindows
thatgivevividsnapshotsofmorethansixhectares
ofpark-likesetting.Justoutside,a lawnclippedwith
militaryprecisionis encircledbylavenderhedges;
a familyofduckspaddlesona creekfringedbywillows.
There’sa wineshackfortastingswithviewsbackto
thelodge,anda mightyoutdoorstonefireplace.
AlainHauswirth,TheMarlboroughLodge’shead
chef,hasanimpressivekitchengardenandorchard
at hisdisposal,andaccesstostellarregionalproduce.
“Thehighlightis reallytheseafood,”hesays,witha
particularshout-outtoCloudyBaysurfclamsandOra
kingsalmonfromtheSounds,supplantedbythelikes
oflocallyhuntedwildgame,CrankyGoatcheeseand
MarlboroughGarlic’sblackgarlic.
A localpioneer– theSwissexpatbroughtthefirst
espressomachinetoPictonin 1995 – Hauswirthserves
a menuas charmingas thediningroom.Kingfishcrudo,
servedsimplybutspot-onwithcharredlimeandlocal
oliveoil.Localscampionsaffronrisottofinishedwith
crayfishbutter.Beeftartare,brightwithhorseradish.
Themenuchangeseverynight,a waytomakesure
lodgeguestsdon’tgetpalatefatigue.Butthereare
otherattractionsinthispartoftheworld.
HansHerzogis oneoftheregion’smoreunusual
wineries.TheSwiss-bornHerzogcomesfroma family
whosewinemakinghistorystretchesbackto1630,and
he’sindulgedhisinterestinexperimentationbyplanting
30 grapevarietiesinhisvineyardofalmost 12 hectares
alongtheWairauRiver.“Hansis knownasthekind
ofguywhodoesn’tsellwinetomakemoney,”says
sommelierPierreGirard.“Hesellswinetomakewine.”
Girardleadsusthougha blindtastinginthe
barrelroombeforesettlingusina diningroom
filledwithantiquesandcurios.Themealis designed
aroundEuropeansensibilities:a galetteoflightly
curedsalmonandfermentedonionservedwith
the estate’s skin-contact pinot gris; gurnardin➤Clockwisefromabove:TeWhareRa
Vineyard& Wineryco-ownerAnna
Flowerday;TheMarlboroughLodge;
kingfishcrudoatTheMarlborough
Lodge; Queen Charlotte Sound.134 GOURMET TRAVELLER