
On the way back to the ferry on the Sunday after the Graperide, L and I make a point of visiting at least one vineyard and winery. This year some good friends pointed us towards Hans Herzog.
The Hans Herzog Estate is a boutique vineyard near Renwick in the Wairau Valley, Marlborough. They produce some 3000 cases off 11.5Ha through the practices of sustainable winegrowing, hand picking and wild fermentation. They have a staggeringly long list of varieties planted in their vineyard:

Red: Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet-Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Montepulciano, Nebbiolo, Tempranillo, Barbera, Petit-Verdot, Saperavi, Lagrein, St Laurent, Zweigelt
White: Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Arneis, Rousanne, Marsanne, Semillon, Gewürztraminer, Gruner Veltliner, Verdelho.

In the beautiful tasting room L and I enjoyed their Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Arneis, Viognier, Tempranillo (yes!), Moltepulciano, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Merlot blend, I lost count what they poured for us. Very complex and beautiful wines. Not cheap, but special.
We bought a trio of bottles that impressed us. The restaurant on site looked fabulous too – we will defo visit there next time for lunch!
HH Mistral Viognier Marsanna Rousanne Marlborough 2013 – $$$ – Drink now – 2018
HH Pinot Gris Marlborough 2015 – $$$ – Drink now – 2018
HH Spirit of Marlborough Cab Merlot Marlborough 2006 – $$$+ – Drink now – 2026
(note the bottle of GR100VPN2015 that will be making the short walk to the Pool Room with these three beauties…)