A foodie's guide to Toast Martinborough

Sip and savour the very best of Martinborough during the ultimate food-lover’s day out this November.

Featuring local producers from in and around the Wellington region, celebrated growers and artisans will be on hand for an afternoon of award winning wine tastings, spectacular food and some of the country’s favourite live and local entertainers.

In a bid to keep you well-informed and across this year’s line-up of Toast Martinborough highlights, take heed of eight festival favourites that we think every foodie should try.

1. Sample the award-winners on offer at Te Kairanga Vineyard
Te Kairanga Vineyard will be offering tastings of their Runholder Pinot Noir 2015 – an award-winning, platinum-rating wine. Matched to perfection by Chef of the Year Mark Soper of Wharekauhau Lodge, guests will be treated to Iamb cooked on a spit in a house-made bun and dressed with Mark’s famous spiced apple relish.

2. Pop bottles at Margrain Vineyard
Winemaker Strat Canning will be on-hand, pouring his famous La Michelle. Master of wine Bob Campbell rated this an impressive 4.5 stars – we suggest you make sampling this superb drop a priority. 

3. Savour the region's best cuisine
Swing by Ata Rangi and chat to Helen Masters about her award-winning wines and sample the deliciousness on offer from Ruth Pretty - master of serving up delectable treats in the most unconventional of places. 

4. Go green
If it’s vegan wines that you’re after, you can be certain that the plentiful wines on offer at Tirohana Estate Vineyard are 100 per cent vegan.

5. Get on your bike
If you’re making a weekend of it, enjoy the beauty of Martinborough on wheels, the day after the main event. Sprawling vineyards and idyllic scenery make a weekend by bike well worth it.

6. Enjoy a blind tasting
Visit Dry River Wines and let the Mistress of the Classics tempt you into testing your blind tasting skills. Dry River opens its doors to the public once a year, exclusively for Toast Martinborough. Sample culinary delights from the team at Wellington’s Capitol Restaurant while you’re there.

7. Dust off your dancing shoes
Finish a beautiful day outdoors sipping great wine, eating tasty food, listening to groovy tunes, and chatting to friends, with a concert in the Martinborough Town Square. The Beat Girls will be turning it up loud, and you’re invited.

8. Tuck in to some Kiwi barbecue
The new kid on the block, Luna, have teamed up with barbecue fiend David Johnson from 3 Little Pigs, to perfect the classic food and wine pairing. Devour the smoked lamb ribs with rosemary, garlic, Kentucky black sauce and Pinot Noir jus – a dream combination alongside the newly-released Luna Estate Pinot Noir 2016.

Toast Martinborough is scheduled to take place Sunday, November 19 2017. To learn more or to secure your tickets to this year's event, see their website here.