Sauvignon blanc. Marlborough region of New Zealand. Updated with pictures.

75 percent of the New Zealand wines are grown in this region but it amounts to less than 1% of the worlds wines. And there are about 500 million vines. 

So what did we do today? Go on a wine tour of course. We hit six vineyards with a van full of 11 of us and a paid sober driver. 

And a really nice lunch at one of the vineyards. Many vinyards in this region have either restaurants or offer tasting plates of foods such as cheeses and meats. 

Some pictures from the wineries. Hunters is run by one of the first female winemakers in the area. She took it over after her husband died. 

Some of the wineries had grapes out for us to taste.  It is now harvest season in this area so that really added to our understanding of the different varietals. 

At highfields we were able to climb up the tower and look around. The person pouring wine was originally from Maine. 

An old wine press. Now they use all modern methods including machine picking of the grapes. We got to see the big machines going down the rows harvesting or as they call it vintage time. 

We walked along the greenway afterwards and came across these beavers commemorating that the town used to be called Beaverton because of all the lumber coming down the river. However there were no beavers here. 

Today I had oatmeal for breakfast, nice healthy lunch, and a big fat New Zealand burger on a brioche roll for supper along with really good fries. I knew we were heading for a bar tonight with a Monday night special on burger fries and a drink. Drink of choice after all that wine today. A nice wheat beer for me and an IPA for Dana. (Who by the way had a fish sandwich) 

All in all a good day with drizzly weather not putting a damper on our fun.