Yealands Family Wines... An Absolute Must To Visit...

I spent a couple of days with friends in Seddon and a must do was

to visit Yealands... I went twice!

10,000 acres of various vines planted using GPS alignment are

truely a sight to behold.

Music is played over most of the vineyard to the vines and

to the chicken that roam around... The eggs of these hens

are twice the size.

Established in 08.08.08 in the Awatere Valley in Marlborough Peter

Yealands and his wife Violet bought land since 2001, sculpted and

re-contoured the land and transformed the rugged pastoral countryside

into a sustainable vineyard... 

 

Everything at this 'Seaview' vineyard is sustainable and is the first

winery in the world to be certified as 'carboNZero' Miniature 'Baby Doll'

sheep and 'Kunekune" pigs tend the vine rows reducing the need for

tractor moving and herbicides.

As I explored the vineyard I saw and tried three different coloured grapes...

Tiny grapes, dense bunches and so sweet juice that ran down my hands.

No wonder the wine is so good.

Driving in, a magnificent sight as the 'Cellar Door' came into view...

A stunning award winning building... Where I indulged in some

tastings and watched an audio visual and interactive displays

exploring the sustainability story.

The is the 'white road' that is open for the public to drive

along... Enjoying the vines, stopping for a picnic in the

many wetlands areas that have been developed to create a safe

and natural habitat for a diverse range of wildlife including the

elusive Royal Spoonbill... If you are so lucky to see one... And

listening to the classical music.

The road continues out through the vines to the coast...

Yealands stretches from the foothills of the Kaikoura Ranges

to undulating downs overlooking the Cook Strait... Seaview

is the single largest privately owned vineyard in New Zealand.

The vineyard ends at these cliffs... Looking along the coast to

Marfells Beach and Cape Campbell Lighthouse in the distance.

Looking north the the far end of the South Island...

And if you look carefully... Wellington in the clouds across Cook Strait.

Yealands Vineyard... Read more here... And do visit...