Wine tasting in Waipara

Taking advantage of an unseasonably warm Sunday afternoon, Skry very kindly drove me, Phil, and Lou around the Waipara valley for several hours as we took ourselves on an impromptu wine tasting tour. There are some great winemakers based not to far from Christchurch, and it wasn't much more than half an hour before we were enjoying our first tasting. Most of the wineries give free tastings and a little bit of education about the different wines.

The Mud House was the only winery which charged us for a tasting, but we probably tried seven or eight different wines there, so the $3 fee was more than fair (plus it is refundable against any purchase). We were also very impressed with the friendliness and knowledge of the lady who served us there. I walked away with a bottle of their multi-award-winning sauvignon blanc and a very drinkable un-oaked chardonnay, and was more than happy with my purchases.

The other wineries we visited varied between tiny family-run businesses (Mount Cass, Torlesse, and Waipara Springs), unfriendly and pretentious (I'm looking at you, Pegasus Bay), and unexpectedly closed (Daniel Schuster). We tasted some great wines, some good wines, and a blackcurrant liqueur, and all of us really enjoyed the afternoon. It is so nice to have places like this virtually on our doorstep!