Marlborough is New Zealand's most celebrated wine region, producing the majority of the country's Sauvignon Blanc along with respected Riesling and Pinot Noir. It occupies the northeast corner of the South Island, a sun-trap of valleys sheltered by ranges to the west and warmed by long dry summers that give the wines their intensity. The Wairau Valley, running inland from the coastal town of Blenheim, is the heart of the wine country — vineyard estates line the valley floor, and most welcome visitors for tastings.
Blenheim is the regional centre and a functional town with a good farmers market. Most visitors stay here and drive out to the cellar doors, though Renwick is the better small base if you want to be wrapped in Wairau Valley vineyards. The other major draw is the Marlborough Sounds — the deeply indented drowned valleys of the Pelorus and Queen Charlotte Sounds to the northwest, where the land breaks into a maze of inlets, peninsulas, and small islands. The Queen Charlotte Track, a multi-day coastal walk, is one of New Zealand's most scenic. The Sounds are accessed from Picton, the ferry port connecting the South Island to Wellington.
