WINERY TOURS

Discover more about picturesque Marlborough and its world-class wines through our popular winery tours.

We’re thrilled to be supporting Marlborough wineries get back to business after Covid-19. With Sounds Connection you’ll be collected directly from your accommodation and taken on an in-depth winery tour around this stunning region to taste the best of the best – Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Riesling and more. We’ve been working with the local wine industry for over twenty years and our guides are professional, knowledgeable and great ambassadors for the Marlborough wines, people and the region.
Please select a wine tour from the below options to find out more information and book online.

“I would rate this tour as absolute value for money, and my choice of another trip with the Sounds Connection team was the highlight of my visit to Marlborough.

Barry, from Perth

Why Choose A Sounds Connection Winery Tour?


WE DO IT THE WAY YOU WANT IT

We’ll do our best to focus on your favourite wineries or varietals, as well as giving you a broad experience of Marlborough wineries, from the boutique to the iconic. Each winery has a fascinating story and there are some characters to be encountered along the way.

FLEXIBILITY IS OUR KEY

With a Sounds Connection wine tour flexibility is key. Wine tasting is clearly a given, but you might also like to include a winery tour or blending experience to see first-hand the fascinating winemaking process at work, or enjoy lunch at one of the winery restaurants with their beautiful garden settings.

KNOWLEDGEABLE & CONNECTED

Our local, experienced guides never tire of sharing their slice of paradise with you! Our strong partnerships with accommodation providers and tourist attraction operators means we can work collaboratively to create magical memories for you



What Customers Say


  • "We had an awesome Waterways & Wine tour on Tuesday with you. Me and my partner enjoyed it a lot and we would recommend it anytime! Also a great THANKS to Frank: he was really great and had huge information for us about the Marlborough area. He was a good guide to us!"
    Carolin and Sebastian
    Waterways and Wine
  • "It was an excellent day, stunning weather, stunning vineyards and a fantastic tour guide named Don. We would like to extend our gratitude and appreciation to Don who catered and cared for us on our Wine Tour."
    Tiana Lauesi
    Group Wine Tour
  • "I would rate this tour as absolute value for money, and my choice of another trip with the Sounds Connection team was the highlight of my visit to Marlborough."
    Barry, from Perth
    Half Day Wine Tour
  • "We had a great day on the Gourmet Wine Experience! Memorable for the excellent lunch, the wines and the stories behind them. Our guide was friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable about the area, the wineries, and the history of winemaking in Marlborough."
    Stephanie & Peter Campbell-Smith
    Gourmet Wine Experience
  • “All the way from Houston, Texas, we were greeted promptly for our all day adventure. Our guide chose great vineyards...large ones, small ones, family owned, and organic. Highly recommend Sam and Sounds Connection.”
    Vufish418
    Full Day Wine Tour
  • "Just want to let you know we had a top day with David on the 11am tour 22 February. David's friendliness and warmth made the day particularly special."
    Iain and Jacquie
    Half Day Wine Tour

Winery Tour FAQ

Where do you pick up from?

Sounds Connection will collect you from your accommodation anywhere in central Blenheim or central Picton, click on the map below. Just let us know where in Marlborough you’ll be staying! We also pick up from Blenheim airport, Koromiko/Picton airport, the Interislander and Bluebridge ferry terminals, and the train stations. For all these Marlborough locations listed, your pick-up is at no extra cost! Staying somewhere else in Marlborough? Talk to us, we’ll see what we can do!

Pick Up Map

marlborough sounds tours - pick up map

We are staying in Picton. Do you pick up from Picton?

Sounds Connection will gladly collect you from your accommodation anywhere in central Picton, the Picton / Koromiko airport, ferry terminal and train station – all included in the price of your tour!.

What kind of wine tour can I take?

With Sounds Connection, you can take a Half Day or Full Day Tour, or we can customise a personal tour just for you.

How much do your wine tours cost?

Our wine tours cost from $69 per person for a Half Day Tour, to $229 per person for a Gourmet Wine Experience. See our tours for full details or contact us for a personalised tour.

How many wineries are there in Marlborough?

Marlborough is one of the world’s finest wine-producing regions with over 140 registered wineries producing award-winning wines to try, and buy. Not all are open to visitors, or open year-round. You might like to take a look at Wine Marlborough’s Trail Map (of Marlborough wineries with Cellar Doors) – plenty of inspiration, should you need any more. Click on the map below to view at a larger size. 
wine trail 2024 map large

Which wineries can I visit?

Sounds Connection works closely with a wide range of top Marlborough wineries – large and small, old and new. We can tailor the tour to accommodate your tastes or your favourite wineries – or we can take the pressure off and decide for you!

How old is the Marlborough wine industry?

The first grapes were planted by Scotsman David Herd in 1873 but it was not until 1973 that the first commercial planting began. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc first hit the headlines in the late 1980s – and now Marlborough produces around 3/4 of New Zealand’s wine.

What wine varieties does Marlborough produce?

Sauvignon Blanc is still the variety Marlborough is best known for, and amounts to around 85% of the wine coming from the region. Pinot Noir is considered by many to be a rising star, and there are also a wide range of excellent Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling wines to try. There are a number of interesting new or more niche varieties becoming available too – from Grüner Veltliner (affectionately known as “Gru Vee”) to Viognier and more. In short, something for every taste. If you have a particular favourite, let us know when you’re booking and we can discuss an itinerary to suit.

Can we visit an organic, biodynamic or sustainable winery?

We are proud to say that 94% or more of New Zealand’s producing vineyard area is now Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) certified, meaning that wines are produced under sustainable, independently audited environmental programmes. If you’re interested in organic and biodynamics, we work closely with a number of wineries you might like to visit. For example Seresin Estate’s organic/biodynamic winery, Te Whare Ra (where the vineyard is managed with a combination of organic and biodynamic practices and all the fruit is hand-picked and hand-sorted), and organic wineries such as Huia Vineyards, Rock Ferry Wines, Hans Herzog, to name a few! Just let us know when you’re booking and we can discuss an itinerary to suit.

I don’t have much time. Can I take a quick tour of Marlborough wineries?

Definitely! Sounds Connection can collect you and drop you off at the airport, ferry terminal or your accommodation and take you on one of our Half Day Wine Tours – we can customise a tour to suit you and whatever time you have available.

What wine-related events are there in Marlborough?

The annual Marlborough Wine Festival is one not to miss! New Zealand’s first and longest running wine festival, it is held in early February in one of the region’s oldest vineyards, Brancott Vineyard, and is a celebration of world-class wine and the very best of local cuisine. Demonstrations by celebrity chefs, tutorials by acclaimed local winemakers, a fashion competition, and music by New Zealand’s best make it a great event to plan a weekend or longer break around. You might even like to create your own little event around special days on the wine calendar. For example, for International Sauvignon Blanc Day (in May) we can take you on a special tour to taste the flagship ‘Savvy’ at some of our region’s beautiful wineries.

What should I wear and bring?

Bring your camera – there are photo opportunities everywhere you look! You may wish to bring a sunhat and sunscreen too, for example in case you want to eat al fresco at some point. Although our wineries are world class, they are not pretentious, so smart casual attire is fine – though if you want to wear a tuxedo, by all means, feel free!

What knowledge of the wine industry will my guide have?

 Our local and experienced guides have a broad range of knowledge about the Marlborough wine area and the wineries within it. From the number of wineries that Marlborough has, to how red wine and white wine is made – and so much more! 

What area will my tour cover? Is there much driving involved?

 The area that your tour will cover may vary depending on your selected tour. It may include the Koromiko Valley, the Wairau Plains (home to the majority of Marlborough’s wineries), Picton, Blenheim, Havelock and Queen Charlotte Drive

Although it’s not exactly wine, do you do craft brewery tours too?

Absolutely! Marlborough is lucky to have not only so many amazing wineries but also a couple of great local breweries. We are more than happy to include a visit to a brewery on our Private Tour options or ask your guide if it can be included on your tour. Get in touch with us and we can organise a great craft brewery experience for you.

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