Marlborough comes to Linwood Mall

Press, 25 September 1989, Page 19

Marlborough comes to Linwood Mall

Marlborough Promotions may not be able to bring the climate or the scenery of New Zealand’s gourmet province south to Linwood City Mall, but they have brought a good selection of the reasons Marlborough has earned the latter title. Marlborough Promotions has also brought a wealth of knowledge and experience in the province in order to arrange a Marlborough holiday tailor-made for you. Thirteen stalls and kiosks will take up residence in the mall tomorrow and remain there until Saturday. Lin Randle, of Marlborough Promotions, describes it as a “Mini Marlborough,” offering tastings of the fine wines which have put New Zealand on the map as a wine-growing region of international significance.

The Marlborough wineries are scattered around the outskirts of Blenheim, all within easy driving distance of each other. The reason the area produces such fine wines, apart from the expertise of the winemakers themselves, is a combination of stony, free-draining soils, which force the vines to struggle for their lives and therefore produce

better fruit and the climate, which is mild and sunny even in winter. Having already gained an international reputation for its white wines, particularly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough is now producing fine red wines which are starting to bring even more acclaim to the region. Marlborough’s biggest winery, the giant Montana, will be featured during the Linwood City promotion. Montana was among the first to realise the potential of the Blenheim area for viticulture. Also featured will be Grove Mill, the area’s newest winery.

Second only to the wines in the gourmet stakes are Marlborough’s green-lipped mussels, grown on hundreds of farms throughout the Sounds. Green-lipped mussels are not found naturally in the Sounds — their seed is brought in from the North Island. But there, they never reach the size at which they are harvested in the clear Marlborough waters. A large percentage of the mussel harvest is processed at Sanfords factory in Havelock, on the inner-

most edge of Pelorus Sound. The factory makes a fascinating visit, with freshly-opened and packed mussels on sale at the door. Mussels will form the ideal accompaniment to Montana’s wines at Linwood City, as they do at the winery itself in Blenheim. Another delicacy on offer is Marlborough salmon, also farmed in the Sounds in huge sea pens. The salmon farms tend to be hidden in the furthermost reaches of the Sounds, due to the valuable and rather accessible nature of the growing salmon, but the mussel farms can be identified by their rows of black buoys on most boat trips through the Sounds. Marlborough is also, of course, New Zealand’s leading cherry and fruit growing region and, in summer and autumn, the fruit of thousands of trees vies for attention with the boughs of the grape vines along the road from Blenheim to Renwick.

Visitors to Linwood City can sample some of the fruit’s end uses, including Annies Fruit Leathers, and the Marlborough Cherry Farm’s mouthwatering cherry pie. The- traditional accompaniment to wine has not been forgotten, either. It is highly appropriate that within a few miles of the finest wine-growing region in New Zealand should be a premier cheese making district. Sample of Marlborough cheeses will be available to try.

The best way to enjoy the produce of Marlborough is in the restaurants of Blenheim and Picton, where you can have your seafood — and wild pork and venison — cooked any way you like, from French to Italian to Chinese.

And, of course, being in Marlborough gives access to its many other pleasures, too — sunshine, scenery and fun on the water and off. Or, just relax and enjoy the food, the wine and the view.