Helen Meehan

After lunch, Peter and I headed to Olivo for an olive oil tasting. I happen to be a big fan of olives, so this was very exciting for me. Olivo is the oldest commercial olive grove in the Wairarapa area and run by the charming Helen Meehan. Helen is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to olives.

We toured the grove and had a tasting. I was delighted to find out that Helen’s olive oils sell in Canada. She has a range of infused oils, including lemon and orange, which are incredible. She also has dessert olives that are like nothing I have ever tasted before. Not only is Helen a delight to be around, but she also brings a new depth and taste to olives.

Between Schoc Chocolates and Olivo, I may have to buy a new suitcase to take my edible treasures home with me!

After Olivo, our next stop was Vintners Choice in Martinborough. This is an amazing idea. You watch a movie and go through a tasting, all while sitting in a comfortable chair. You get to meet some local winemakers on the screen and learn a little bit about the history of the region and the winemaking.

We started with Escarpment Martinborough Riesling 2007, which exhibits the typical fine floral fruit characters and racy acid the variety is known for. We then moved to Alana Estate Sauvignon Blanc, which has subtle grassy notes and capsicum and undertones of lavender. Next, Urlar Savignon Blanc 2008, which delivered zesty gooseberry, capsicum and lime flavours with a hint of passion fruit. And then to the reds.

We tasted The Edge Pinot Noir, a full-bodied style with great backbone and a long lingering finish. We moved to Te Tera Pinot Noir 2006 that offered succulent ripe cherry, berry and plum fruits that combine with gamey savory notes and a hint of mocha on the nose. And last but not least, the Ata Rangi Celebre 2006 with the fragrant aroma of blueberries, blackcurrant and chocolate with underlying hints of exotic spices and sweet tobacco.

Whew. Then it was time for the train ride home to Wellington. What a beautiful time I had in the Wairarapa.

Click here to see additional images.

Peter Wilson

Wairarapa is seen by nearby Wellingtonians as a trendy weekend rural escape. With a population of fewer than 40,000, it is a peaceful retreat from city life. It features quaint townships, a thriving café scene, art and culture and many nature walks. It is also centrally located on the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail. Uh oh…

I took the train from Wellington and had directions to get off at Woodside Station. When the conductor saw my directions, she frowned and said, “That’s not usually where the tourism board sends people. When we get there, I will make sure there is someone there to meet you. If not, you just come with us to the next station.” Only in New Zealand, would a train conductor be worried about a grown woman finding her ride in broad daylight. How nice is that?

Peter Wilson from Destination Wairarapa was there waiting for me. The conductor was satisfied that things were good and she waved us off. Peter is a charming, friendly man who looks amazingly like the American actor Jeff Daniels. I was about to ask for his autograph until I realized that he was my host for the day!

We started off in Greytown, which is New Zealand’s oldest inland town with the most complete main street of original Victorian wooden architecture in the country. It offers visitors a nice relaxed environment and some great shops, cafes and restaurants.

We started at The French Baker for a coffee. This bakery was quite busy and I could see why. Fine baguettes through to chocolate croissants were displayed and their aroma was enticing.

Our next stop was Schoc Chocolates where I got to meet Murray Langham, one of the founders. I am absolutely a convert to this chocolate and was delighted to learn that they will ship to Canada; you just need to contact them through their website at www.schoc.co.nz.

They have over 50 flavours and one of the ones I tried was rosemary and apricot, which was fabulous. Murray explained that he was cooking chicken at home one day, making a rosemary and apricot stuffing and wondered how that would go with chocolate. Well, I only have one word for that – delish!!

Our next stop was Tirohana Estate (“Tir” is Gaelic for earth, “Ohana” is Polynesian for family). It is a boutique winery set against the scenic backdrop of the Martinborough hills in the heart of the Wairarapa.

We were fortunate enough to be met by the founder, Raymond Thomson. Raymond has another life as a successful television executive, but rumour has it that he is happiest working in his vineyard. True to NZ form, Raymond welcomed us with open arms and a funny story. It seems that the rock band AC/DC had recently come to visit his winery and to have a meal. Raymond didn’t recognize them and as it was coming into harvest season, he thought perhaps they were migrant workers looking for a job. He asked them and they said that they didn’t want a job. So he asked what they did for a living and they replied that they were musicians. He then asked if they were going to play a local bar around town and they laughed and explained that they had just finished playing at Wellington stadium, which holds 36,000. Raymond laughed when he told this story, shaking his head at himself.

We then went into a wine tasting with Raymond’s son-in-law Toby James (they weren’t kidding when they put family in the name!). Toby’s understanding of wines was inspiring. He not only knew his stuff, but he also brought an easiness to the process that made the tasting much more enjoyable. He said something that really made me think. He explained that while there are some standard rules that people tend to follow when pairing foods with wine (like white with fish and chicken, etc.), they prefer to bend those rules a bit and often have red with fish or a white with lamb – depending on the wine and how the food is prepared. I found that very interesting.

We tasted two Pinot Noirs at Tirohana. They were the Tirohana Pinot Noir 2008 and the Tirohana Pinot Noir Leslie, which Toby called a dangerous wine. And he’s right. It is so good it could be very, very dangerous.

We then moved on to lunch, which as you can see from the photos was excellent. With our blue cheese and broccoli soup, we had Tirohana Chardonnay. This wine was more aromatic than most Chardonnays and tasted of apples with a hint of vanilla and butter that supported the fruit.

For our main course, Peter had the sirloin roast, which was paired with a special reserve Pinot and with my fish in a lemon cream sauce. I went with the recommendation of the Tirohana Pinot Noir Leslie…the dangerous wine!