Setting
The hunt for the Holy Grail of pinot noir is what led German couple Kai Schubert and Marion Deimling to Martinborough in 1998, and they’ve never looked back. Impressive bottles sourced from around the globe line the interior of the tasting room, which is always humming with activity. You’ll be tasting the wines out of fantastic René Gabriel glassware imported from Switzerland.

Things To Know
A small vineyard surrounds the cellar door, but the majority of Schubert’s fruit is grown on Dakins Rd, in Gladstone. They’ve proven the Wairarapa’s star quality for pinot noir and export 90 per cent of their production – it’s rare to find Schubert wines anywhere else in New Zealand apart from here so make the most of your opportunity to taste them. They produce three pinot noirs; the Estate and two clone selections: Marion’s Vineyard consists of abel and pommard while Block B is from dijon clones.

Our Picks
The Marion’s Vineyard Pinot Noir is excellent, and for impressive Bordeaux-style red, try the Con Brio. The Tribianco is a cuvée of three white grape varieties: pinot gris, chardonnay and müller-thurgau.

Plus
Give Miss Paula, the cellar-door cat, a gentle scratch under the chin if she sidles up to you; it’s good luck.