Visit the Forest Estate Winery, New Zealand

New Zealand's South Island is known for many things. It is a great adventure destination, it is a great cruise destination and it is a great wine tasting destination. The north eastern corner of New Zealand's South Island is the country's official wine growing region. This 7km by 14 km geographical area is the home to over 50 different wineries, many of which you can visit.

Forest Wines, Ltd.

Forest Wines, Ltd. is the one of the New Zealand wineries located on the South Island that you can visit. It is located on Blicks Road in Renwick, which is a part of Marlborough, New Zealand. You can contact this winery by calling (30) 572 9084 or by emailing them at info@forestwines.co.nz.

If you are interested in touring the vineyards or the wine making facilities, then you will need to call ahead and arrange a tour. Tours are available seven days a week between 10:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. However, the winery is closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday and October 29, which is the Anniversary Day for Marlborough.

There are different ways to get to Forest Wines. Your first option is to drive there yourself. If you want to enjoy the scenery on your way to the winery, then consider taking one of the many winery tour busses. These busses will pick you up and take you winery hopping. If you are looking for an active way to spend an afternoon, consider renting a bike and biking through New Zealand's wine country.

Forest Estate Graperide

Biking through New Zealand's wine country is a very popular activity, and Forest Estates, the location for Forest Wines, likes to encourage people to get out and enjoy the area. Because of this they host New Zealand's largest cycling event, the Forest Estate Graperide. This annual event attracts over 2,500 cyclists each year.

If you are interested in participating or watching this event, then you will want to visit the official website of the event to learn the specifics for this year's, or next year's event. Generally it is held in mid-April, it allows team entries or individual entries and it offers a prize purse valued at over $90,000 in New Zealand Dollars.

The first year you enter this even you are considered a "Graperide Virgin." If you enter the following year, you will be given a special bottle of "100 Virgins" Pinot Noir.

The course for the Graperide is divided into three lags. The first lag takes you from Wairau Plains to Picton, which is lined with beautiful vineyards. The second lag is the hilly section of the course and it covers about 30km. This lag will follow Queen Charlotte Drive and take you past the Sounds all the way to Haveluck. The final lag will take you back to Renwick and Forest Estate.