Grapevine - Velo Vino

Mt. Arthur

May 202013

Having been to Abel Tasman Ntl. Park many times (see previous blog), I can’t believe we hadn’t been to Kahurangi Ntl Park ONCE since we moved here!
Well that has changed.
Glenn & I picked a picture -perfect autumn day to do the hike. Heading out at 8am, with an 1 1/4 drive ahead of us, we didn’t know if we would make it to the summit or not, but we were going to try. We arrived at the carpark and it was 11 degrees- not at all bitter, but still cold enough to be bundled up. With walking sticks, food and water and good humor we started out. The air was amazingly fresh, the sky crystal clear and the forest much as we saw it in “Lord of the Rings’.
The hike lets you warm up with an easy-walking, wide path, but then as we climbed in elevation, the path narrows and steepens. Soon we found that our walking sticks were our best friends. There were switchbacks and trees to duck under, we were certainly kept on our toes. Eventually the sky opened up to us and the views were stunning.
We finally made it to the Mt. Arthur hut, where we sat at a picnic table and enjoyed a well-deserved lunch. This also gave us an amazing view of Mt. Arthur- all 1795meter -tall of it. It seemed so close, but we knew better. It was still a good 1 1/2hr. hike to the summit. While we were given a magnificent day to hike, the sun would be fading fast on us if we chose to summit, so instead we took one last long view and decided to save it for another day…

Abel Tasman National Park

Apr 122013

One of the true joys of living in Nelson is our proximity to Abel Tasman National Park- named after Abel Tasman, who in 1642 became the first European explorer to sight New Zealand.

Although it is the smallest of New Zealand’s national parks, there is a plethora of of outdoor activities for the adventurer- you need days to do and see it all! We started out early from home for a day hike starting from Marahau. We love coming out here this time of year, as the tourists have mostly gone, and the weather, while crisp in the morning, warms up quickly- especially if you keep up a good clip. But don’t rush yourself, stop and take in the amazing views of turquoise blue water and singing birds. The trail out of Marahau is mostly flat and scenic – called the Abel Tasman Coastal Track. It is super popular with tourists in the summer, but we found it pretty peaceful (except for the school group we came upon!)

We hiked to Apple Tree Bay and stopped for a little bite to eat and to watch the kayakers row past. It was warm and sunny, just perfect. We then decided to go a bit further, to Stillwell Bay, where again we had a snack and just took in the fresh air and still water. This was the end of the line today – we made our way back on the trail, again enjoying the views and the native plants. I especially love the silver ferns and Koru- shaped palm fronds. They’re so classic New Zealand.

Back at the car, my feet were feeling the 12K, but my lungs felt full of oxygen and my mind was clear. Definitely need to come out here more often.

Cycling Bike Trails on the North & South Islands

Apr 082013

Juliane and I had the pleasure of exploring the southern part of New Zealand’s North island recently. Our focus was going to be on wine regions and cycling trails, as it had been 10 years since we had visited the area.After a great concert in Wellington where we saw Taj Mahal and Joan Armatrading, we eagerly drove up to the Wairarapa wine region, centered around the alluring town of Martinborough. This is a tiny village with a disproportionate amount of charm, and the very quiet roads heading off in each direction, were too enticing to resist and we were on our bikes in no time. The sooner we finish our ride, the sooner we can taste the fine local wines! It’s so easy to ride in this area, hills are manageable and traffic very light. If one wants to ride from winery to winery, most of them are within close proximity to each other. I don’t enjoy wine touring by bike as much as I used to, however….must be a factor of age and prudence.
After Martinborough, we started our drive to Hawke’s Bay, but couldn’t resist a visit to Greytown, another cool town with period cottage architecture and a bunch of boutique shops and cafes. After an excellent scone and coffee, the drive continued.
Driving just outside Havelock North on a quiet perfect cycling road, we were passed by dozens of cyclists going in the opposite direction, and we concluded a race was on. We talked about cycling that very road the next day, but when we saw the cycling trails that have been built in the area, we decided to stay off the roads.The next day we rode parts of all 4 of the established named trails in the region: The Water Ride, The Landscapes Ride, The Wineries Ride and The iWay. We really enjoyed the hard packed dirt surface on the trails, which would easily accommodate skinny road tires.
Next stop was the Lake Taupo area, centered around the town of Taupo. There are some fantastic trails here, albeit more designed for mountain bikes than road bikes. The hybrids we had were without suspension, so tough to ride some of these for us. Still beautiful though! Don’t miss the mountain bike park…over 70K of trails for all levels.

Hawke’s Bay Trail

Huka River

outside martinborough

Cambridge Rd. Winery

I am glad the South Island and especially Nelson are making such a huge committment to establishing in depth cycle trail networks, as other areas of New Zealand are setting the bar just as high!

Taste Nelson

Mar 052013

Glenn & I spent a really enjoyable couple of hours last weekend at the annual “Taste Nelson” at Founder’s Park. There were plenty of food stalls as well as an indoor set-up for wine/beer vendors. It was great to see some of the more under-the-radar wineries showing their wares- such as Moutere Hills, Partington, Harakeke and the newest kid on the block, Aronui. They are the “nelson grapes only” half of Tohu Wines, which is Marlborough based. Glenn really liked their chardonnay- we’ll have to keep an eye out for it in the marketplace. I found the Partington Rose (about 100cs made) very french like- slightly savoury nose with a verrrrry dry palate. A food wine for sure. I think I’m still a bit more partial to the Harakeke Rose, though. After a bit of wine (warm sunny day + wine + no food = tipsy) food was in order. So out to the stalls we wandered—-burger, sausage, ahhhh… mexican! This was the same group who does the mexican food at the Freehouse, which we’ve had, so ahead we went – tamales with black beans and a spicy chipotle sauce and a veggie burrito for me. Yum.
Founder’s Park is the perfect venue- plenty of space for numerous stalls plus a grassy area with a large music stage set up. They also have a huge shed filled with vintage buses and vans as well as a small gallery for Lori Davis’ painting. Really something for all ages. We’ll definitely be back next year.

Maitai Valley Walk

Feb 272013

I sometimes forget about the lovely Matai Valley walk, easy & accessible from several points in the city. I like to park the Velovino van at Nile and Domett st. intersection and duck under the bridge and follow the track as it winds out of town gently. The other day, with Juliane, the river was quite low and it was bubbling softly instead of the torrents I’ve seen in the past. Once out of town, the path is rideable on Mt. bike, but on this sort of path, which is heavily used, I give the priority to pedestrian usage. Walking is a fantastic speed to observe the subtle beauty of the area, also. On the walk, we could just detect a hint of Autumn in the air and maybe a tinge of color in some of the leaves, but let’s not rush our way out of summer just yet. We crossed under bridges 3 more times and made mental notes of some of the well placed picnic tables, so we could return and have an outdoor repast under the shade of the Poplars.This walk would be a great outing for Velovino guests that sign up for the Tour/Lodging Package, as it’s an easy, beautiful activity to finish a perfect day. (And maybe walk off some wine after touring the wineries!)

Since Velovino is a full service, bespoke tour business, we are not limited to cycling or winery touring. The clients’ desires and interests come first, and we pride ourselves on our level of service and area knowledge. If you want to take a scenic walk, or visit an artisan craftsman instead of cycling, we can accommodate you easily. After all, it’s your Holiday!

We turned around at the huge sunny meadow approaching the golf course and made our way back to van, half in the shade and half in the sun. What a perfect stroll in Nelson! Nelson!

Cycling along the Motueka River Valley

Feb 192013

I came up with a new VeloVino bike ride loop last Sunday- cycling along the Motueka River Valley. It was a perfect day with a hint of coolness in the air with the approach of Autumn. We parked just before the roundabout at the start of Motueka at Robinson rd.A few scenic small roads later, we were firmly on track southwest heading down the lovely Motueka River highway. We hit a little bit of traffic at the start..(maybe 6 cars!) but then the road got real quiet and we hardly felt the slight incline at all, cooking along at 28-30 K/hr. We passed the first bridge across the river, but opted to keep going to the next. that’s the great thing about this route, it can be adapted to any length from 30-70 K, based on which bridge one decides to cross the river with. Soon, we stopped to take some photos and noticed a path down to the river and the sweetest swimming hole around! Just a few local folks there enjoying the placid river waters. We continued on our way, in the shadow of Kahurangi National Park and saw no trace of snow at all on the mountain peaks. This warm, sunny summer has done its work!

Soon we found ourselves cruising into familiar territory…Ngatimoti, where our selected bridge awaited. We crossed the river on the old suspension bridge and were soon pedaling along West Bank Rd., heading back northeast. The last few times we’ve done this bike ride, we’ve run into headwinds along this section, and once again, the winds slowed us down. There was absolutely no traffic for the next 16 K and only 1 car passed us at the very end of the road! A little bit of wind, but no traffic at all? I’ll take it!

We were now coming back into the thriving metropolis of Motueka, (just kidding) and after another bridge over the river, the right hand curve put the wind firmly at our backs again. The next few K’s along the golf course and Tasman Bay are really fine and we soon found ourselves back at the car, happy and sweaty, with 51 K’s in the bank in 1 hour and 50 minutes. A great day!

Mea Culpa…

Jan 302013

I knew this was going to happen..as soon as I say ” New Zealand wines don’t seem to have as much depth” (see Old world/New world post) I have two wines back to back that just blow that statement out of the water! So let’s get right to it. The first wine is the amazing Man O’ War “Ironclad” 2009 from Waiheke Island. If you have not been to Waiheke, and especially Man O’ War – it’s a must do. Even the New York Times has been there – naming the Island one of the top 46 places you must visit in 2013!

The wine. “Ironclad” is their signature Bordeaux blend – 34.4% Cabernet Franc, 31.4% Merlot, 22.4%Malbec, 7% Petit Verdot and 4.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, and a stunner it is. My first impression (tasting it blind) was that it WAS Bordeaux- now that’s really saying something if a New world wine can bring on Old world! The colour was deep burgundy and the nose had the perfect blend of cigar box, clove and black fruit. The palate had hints of thyme, ripe, dark fruit and beautifully integrated tannins. It coated the mouth with a bit of “bordeaux-esque” dustiness, yet the tannin/acid balance kept it fresh and lively. It truly had that depth throughout that makes it a classic, no matter what world! This is still such a young wine, I wish I had more ….

The next nights wine- also tasted blind – was completely different, but just as rich and beautiful and full of depth (ok, enough of that-made my point . This time it was a Pinot Noir, but not just any run-of-the-mill fruit bomb, but a true classic – the tiny production Bella Terra 2009 made by Patrick Stowe (of Rimu Grove fame). Seriously, this is a special wine, and I couldn’t describe it better than Patrick does on his back label: “The combination of our microclimate with long sunny days, mild coastal weather and Moutere clays creates what we believe is the perfect terroir for our home-block Pinot Noir…. complex flavours of plums, berries and spice with a smokey finish.” I love how he uses the french word terroir to describe his special vineyard area because this wine truly encapsulated a Burgundian-style wine to me. A wonderful treat from our own Nelson backyard.

Old world vs. New world Wines

Jan 222013

I really enjoy New World wines, especially the kiwi wines. That freshness and crispness- they just smell young, vibrant and full of promise, and what about those great big California wines? Rich, heady aromas, mouthfilling malolactic and tannins for africa! WOW! They definitely make a statement. But if I had to choose ONE country to drink wine from for the rest of my life…well….there’s really no question for me…. France. Wins hands down, no question. Why? you ask. Many of the wines are so out of reach price wise, and let’s not even get started on the quality, you say.

I say that both the price & quality of wines like -First growth Bordeaux, and Grand Cru Burgundy make them mostly unattainable, but there are less expensive gems to be found, and they keep calling out to me… Maybe it’s the “terroir“- that french term that, literally translated means “soil”, but really encompasses so much more. It’s planting the right grapes in the right place- and letting the history of the vineyard guide you to making the best wine you can. There is so much history to winemaking in France, and it comes through in the finished bottle. For example, the other night I opened a bottle of french chardonnay from Bezier in the south of france ( known as vin de pays d’oc) and immediately I smelled ripe summer peaches and a hint of earthiness, and on the palate that classic minerality. Now this was a $14.99 wine, and not at all white Burgundy, but so different from the same-priced kiwi chardonnays that I have had, which have beautiful fresh fruit aromas and palate, but are lacking that depth. That je ne sais quoi. It’s not that one is better than the other, but just different…. and fun to taste and discuss, and isn’t that what wine should be all about?

Trail to Rabbit Island

Jan 222013

Rode the new section of the Great Taste Trail that starts at the end of Queen St. and runs through paddocks and grassland, over the new blue suspension bridge all the way to Rabbit Island. Only saw about 8 other riders on the day, but the trail to Rabbit Island is glorious, easy to follow and flat. A few bumps here and there, but these will get smoothed out as the trail gets more and more use. I love the section past the Pine forest on the island, and there are many other routes off the official trail where one can get lost in the dark moody forest. I did not notice an official sign for the turn-off to the ferry to Mapua, and it seems like it could be easily missed by riders who are just groovin’ along the ride. Mapua itself now has some cool little cafes, including Jellyfish and the Smokehouse, where the best fish and chips around are served. The galleries and shops in Mapua have some surprisingly artsy and unusual offerings, so be sure to check them out too! For beer lovers, there is the Golden Bear Brewery a stone’s throw from the bike ferry, so be sure to feed the thirst there.

Can’t wait to do the whole thing again!

bicycle tours

Dec 072012

Bicycle Tours are a great way to see a big area in a small amount of time while getting some great exercise! We encourage everyone to give it a go! Our bikes are new and lightweight, and our routes vary from 20k- 100k.