Three days in Marlborough

Day one. The Wairau Valley, ground zero.

Morning. Start outside Blenheim on Rapaura Road, the densest stretch of cellar doors in New Zealand. Cloudy Bay first, the name that started the stampede in 1985, to taste the benchmark at the source. Afternoon. Two smaller doors on the same road; ask each to pour their standard Sauvignon beside a barrel-fermented or wild-yeast version. The variety has more registers than its reputation. Evening. Dinner in Blenheim. Whatever the kitchen suggests, the answer is the local Sauvignon, because tonight it is.

Day two. The Awatere and the edges.

Morning. Drive south over the hill into the Awatere Valley, windier, drier, closer to the sea. The Sauvignon here is saltier and tighter; taste at a door like Yealands with the Cook Strait in view. Afternoon. Back via a Pinot Noir specialist; Marlborough's southern valleys are quietly building a serious Pinot case while everyone watches the Sauvignon. Evening. Greenshell mussels in Havelock, twenty five minutes away, with a glass of what you tasted this morning: the region's perfect pairing and its best value dinner.

Day three. The Sounds, the reward.

Morning. A final tasting or the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre if the palate needs a morning off; it is improbably world class. Afternoon. The Queen Charlotte Drive to Picton and out onto the Marlborough Sounds, by mail boat or kayak. The sea that cools the vines deserves an afternoon of its own. Evening. Fish and chips on the Picton foreshore, screwcap cracked on a bench. The least pretentious great wine region on earth, ending the trip in character.

Know before you go

When to go. March and April are harvest. December to April is reliable summer; winter is short, crisp and quiet.

Getting there. Fly to Blenheim from Wellington or Auckland, or the ferry to Picton from Wellington, one of the world's great short crossings. A car or bike: the Wairau doors are famously cyclable.

How many days. Two for the wine, three with the Sounds, and the Sounds are not optional.

The cellar doors. Mostly walk-in, tastings 10 to 20 New Zealand dollars, usually waived with purchase. The most relaxed tasting culture in this Atlas.

The mistake first timers make. Tasting only Sauvignon Blanc. The Pinot, the Chardonnay and the aromatics are the region's second act, already playing.

Drink it before you go

A classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. The world's most recognisable white wine; know the benchmark before you argue with it.

A barrel-fermented or wild Sauvignon. The same valley in a different voice, and the answer to anyone who says the style is one-note.

A Marlborough Pinot Noir. The quiet second act, southern valley fruit at honest prices.

Marlborough is one of twelve places in The Grape Atlas. Learn it in five minutes, free.